Suicide Squad BTVS Style
by DeAmonQuEen
Summary: After the beat down in the alley at Dead Things, Spike has finally decided that he's had enough and has decided to leave Sunnydale once and for all. But the Powers have different plan for him. Instead they task him in to creating a group of anti-heroes to do their dirty works. Read and find out who Spike recruits and how he and his team will be able to work with the Slayer's team.
1. Chapter 1

**(O.O)**

 **DeamonQueen: Hi everyone! this is a response to the challenge posted by Killjoy on EF. Like the title suggests this is Suicide Squad Buffy style. Hope you enjoy this three chapter fic.. And would give me a review on what you think of it. So without delaying you any further, enjoy!**

 **Special thanks to djellibabe for betaing this fic for me! Couldn't have done it without you!**

 **(O.O)**

 _Enough was enough._

He had kept his promise to her when she died and protected her sister and friends while she was gone. He kept her secret about being in heaven and had allowed her to use his body to scratch the damn itch she seemed to keep feeling when her life turned from shit to worse. He let her call him names, degrade his entire being and existence. But when she left him to die in that alley, it had been the last straw for him.

Don't get him wrong. He still loved the damned bint. He didn't think he could feel anything other than love for the crazy bitch. But that didn't mean he was just gonna let her stomp on his unbeating heart over and over again. He loved pain, found it arousing most days, but not the kind of pain she had inflicted on him that night. There was just only so much hurt and abuse a man like him could take for the sake of love. And that night he had finally reached his limits.

 _Love used to be everything to me. But if I continue living like this, letting love rule my life this way, I'll no sooner end up dust._ He thought as he shoved the last of his clothes inside his duffel.

He was done with this hell hole. Done wasting his time and love on people who will never see him as anything but hired muscle or a dead thing to be used because he was _convenient_.

He closed his eyes and blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. It hurt. Her words that night hurt him more than any torture he had to endure from Angelus or a bloody hell god. That night she had turned away from his love and shoved it back in his throat before smashing it all into pieces while it was still inside of him by using her fists.

He could've died that night, had he not been able to crawl into the nearest manhole and hide from the approaching sun. He stayed inside that hole until his enhanced vampire healing kicked in. It took him an entire day to heal but once he was healed enough, he slowly walked back to his crypt, which he found had gone untouched within his twenty hour absence, and that meant that within that time he was healing inside in that hole not once had the Slayer, who had caused his injuries, come to check on whether or not he was alright. This only proved to him what his actual worth was for the said woman.

And it was nothing. He was worth _nothing_ to the Slayer. She didn't care if he had lived or died in that alley and it hurt him more than the injuries he sustained from her that night. So when that final realizaton came to his mind, he resolved to leave Sunnydale once and for all.

As he walked towards the bike he took from the biker demons who came to town a few months back, he thought about where he would go once he left town. He knew that he couldn't go to LA because the poof was there and the bastard would have a fit if he even thought of stepping foot in his city. New York would've been a nice place, lots of lights and things to do once nighttime hit the city. But then he had the chip, so he really couldn't enjoy the pleasures of those Happy Meals on Legs. He thought about finding ways to remove the chip, but then he realized that even if he found a way to get the damn thing out, he'd still couldn't go back to being the evil Master Vampire he once was. He had been hanging around these white hats for far too long and had formed this unnatural desire to not harm humans. So he was stuck. He could leave Sunnydale but he still wouldn't be able to have the freedom he wanted. For some reasons he was still gonna be caught in the tight ropes the Slayer and her friends had successfully wrapped around him, making him into this sad love-sick and pathetic vampire who didn't want to go back to killing people because he knew the woman he loves, who will never love him back, would not want it of him and because after spending so much time with a bunch of humans he had learnt to see humans not as his food source but as actually individuals who had their own loved ones or people who cared about them in some way.

 _Dammit!_ He cursed internally.

He knew it was pointless. Leaving Sunnyhell now wouldn't change a thing about him. He'd still be loves bitch anywhere he'd go. At least if he stayed he could make some sort of difference by protecting the Slayer and her companions and helping them with their cause.

 _Not like they'd appreciate the help anyway. After all, besides Glinda and the little Bit, everyone, including the Slayer, hates your fucking guts._ The nasty voice at the back of his head told him.

He let out a defeated sigh as he realized just how right the voice was. He could stay and be as helpful as he wanted to be, save their arses as much as he could, yet he knew they would never see him as anything other than the evil demon he once was. His life had no point, he had no purpose, and besides for the loving a woman, who clearly despised him, he had no reason to really continue living in this world.

"Maybe I should've just let myself to be dusted in that alley. At least I wouldn't have to feel this pathetic and think all about these useless stuff about my existence," he muttered to himself, "I'd've been free from all this crap that life keeps throwing at me."

"Naw, if you had died in that alley, you wouldn't have been freed. You'd have ended up in hell, suffering all eternity for all the evil things you've done in the past," this came from a foul scented man wearing a fedora and an ugly looking floral yellow shirt underneath a worn down black leather jacket.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Spike asked, shifting into a fighting position. He hadn't noticed the man's arrival but he was certain that the man wasn't human.

"Woah! Easy there, hotshot! I ain't here to hurt you!" the man told the vampire, raising his hands in surrender.

"Not really gonna trust the word of someone who can easily sneak up on me, mate," he told the man, as his eyes narrowed to assess the threat the man could possess.

"Would it be easier to trust me if I said I have the right solution to all your problems?" he told the vamp.

"No, not really. It'll only serve to make you even more suspicious."

"Well, can't do anything about that. But really, Spike, I have the solution to all your problems, if you just hear me out."

"What sort of solution?" the vampire asked, easing his stance a little.

"The sort that will allow you to live your life as you want without worrying about disappointing the woman you love and not going against the moral code you somehow grew to have over the years you spent living with these humans."

This caught the vampire's attention. He finally eased up, stood straight and looked up at the man with curiosity. Who was this guy and how did he know about his little personal dilemma he had been thinking about earlier.

He would've asked him about all of this but the man had already beat him to it by answering his first question first.

"I'm Whistler, by the way. An agent of the Powers that Be, the higher beings who are in charge of protecting the Balance between good and evil. And you, my vampire friend, are their newest Chosen one to help them with their cause!" He pointed at Spike with a smug look on his face.

 **(O.O)**

 _Darkness._

That's all she ever sees now. All she seems to ever see. She remembers she had a mission. She was supposed to find someone. But she didn't find _him_ , nor could she still look for _him_ anymore. It was too dark after all and so she waited. Waited for _him_ to find _her_.

 _But how can he? It was dark after all._

She still thought she was being tested. Tested in her patience to wait for him, so she would wait.

Even though all she really wanted was to get out of the darkness and simply search for him.

" _ **Can you cry? I feel better when I cry sometimes...**_ " she remembered words of the kind golden haired girl had said to her before she was plunged into this never ending darkness.

 _Yes, she can cry._ She had wanted to say. She was made to be the _perfect girlfriend_ after all. So she could cry, but she wasn't allowed to unless she had his permission because crying was blackmail and that wasn't what good girlfriends was suppose to do.

She remembers her programming. She remembers mostly everything she was created for. But for all her memory she could not remember what she did wrong to be left alone this long in the dark.

 _Was she bad? Did she make him angry?_

She hated that feeling. And for once she wanted to go against her programming and cry. Cry because she was hurting and because she knew deep down he was never gonna come and get her out of this darkness.

 **Clink. Cluck. Ting. Tick. Tung.**

Something was happening. She was feeling movement. She felt someone touching her. Holding her.

 _Did he come back? Was he finally getting her out of the darkness?_

"I don't know why I would be needing this thing. The Buffybot was enough trouble as it was. Don't see why I need another sex bot hanging around me."

"Yeah, well one of the Powers heard this thing's prayers and is taking pity on it."

"It's a bloody robot! It's not suppose to have prayers, especially now its fucking shut off!"

She was hearing voices, though not _his_ voice, but voices nonetheless.

 _Could it be? Was she finally gonna get out of this darkness?_

"Plug this over there now, would you?" the first man's voice, which she was certain she had heard before, said.

"Yeah, yeah."

She felt her wirings getting pulled and male hands touching her body.

 _It was wrong!_ She was not suppose to let another man touch her. He said it _wasn't right._

But she couldn't seem to muster the right angry response for that programming. She was still excited and happy that someone, _even though it wasn't him_ , was trying to finally get her out of the darkness.

 **Blink.. blink..**

Her systems were turning on. And her limbs were gaining power.

"Hey, look! She twitched!" The second man's voice said excitedly.

She felt her eyes flutter open and finally she was seeing something other than darkness. It was a blinding white light.

It took time for her visual system to finally work properly but when they did she was finally seeing other things besides the blinding white light. She was seeing shadows. A few more seconds later, the shadows were showing colors. And finally she was able to see her rescuers.

"There you are. Welcome back to the land of the living, pet," the man with the strikingly white hair said to her.

"God, I can't believe you were actually able to fix her up!" the second man with a hat said to the white haired one.

"Yeah, well-I did have a bot like it made, saw the blueprints and everything. So it ain't that hard to suss out its wirings and stuff to get the damn thing functioning. Now all we have to do is try to change its programmings."

At the mention of the word programming, all her recent memories returned to her. And she finally remembered what happened.

"Where's Warren?" she asked, though this time she was not asking it in a way a meek mannered girlfriend was supposed to.

She was not looking for him because he was her boyfriend like she had once done before the darkness. No, she wasn't. She wanted to know where he was so she could send him to that same dark place and have him wait for her for once.

Angry eyes, looked at the two men in front of her, the one with the hat was backing away from her fearfully, which delighted her.

 _Good, she wanted to look scary when she saw Warren again._

While the other one seemed to stare at her face as if he was studying her.

 _No, can't have that, she had to look scary for Warren._

She glared at the white haired man. And crushed the metallic table she was sitting on with her bare hands.

"Where's Warren?!" she asked again.

The other man flinched at her voice, but the white haired one didn't. She was getting angry. Even though she wasn't designed to get angry for such situations. Yet she still was, because she couldn't make the white one be afraid of her.

She stood up from the table, and wobbly walked towards the man. She could feel her wires and circuits getting pulled from behind her as she moved. But she didn't care because she really wanted to be scary. She had to be. Otherwise she wouldn't make Warren pay for what he did to her.

"I will only ask again once, where's Warren?!" she screamed the question with all her might.

The already broken glass doors of wherever place they were at all shattered at the intensity of her scream. She was using ultra sonic sound waves to make her voice that high and deadly. Any human would've found their ears shattered by what she had done. But she didn't care. She wanted to get the point to the white haired one that she was scary enough so she could prove to herself that she was good enough to scare Warren.

When she looked up to where the white haired man stood. She saw that he simply stood there, almost unaffected by what she had done, almost for he was only poking his ear with his finger and inspected the damage like how one would when they hear loud and undesirable noise. He didn't look scared at her at all.

She felt wetness on her face after that.

 _Why was her face wet? Was there a leak in the ceiling?_

She looked up but saw no water dripping from there. She touched her cheeks and realized that the wetness was coming from her eyes.

 _She was crying! But why? Was she not supposed to cry? Crying was not a good thing to do when she was supposed to be a good girlfriend._

But did she even still want to be a good girlfriend. She wanted to hurt Warren after all. And good girlfriends don't hurt their boyfriends.

But he left her alone in the dark. He was with another woman when she found him. So that made him a bad boyfriend, right?

She didn't know what to do. It wasn't in her programming to hurt Warren for being a bad boyfriend. But it wasn't in her programming to accept his bad deeds either. She was frustrated. She didn't know what to do anymore.

Was she supposed to go back to Warren? Was she gonna hurt him when she saw him for making her stay in the darkness for so long? Or was she just going to leave him alone because he obviously didn't want her anymore?

She was so confused and hurting so much. She wanted it all to stop. And for the first time in all the time since she had been in the dark she finally appreciated being in that darkness.

In the darkness at least she didn't have to worry about these things.

But also in the darkness she wasn't happy there.

But neither was she happy here.

She realized that she wasn't happy anywhere because she had no reason to live.

Warren didn't want her and she was created to be his perfect girlfriend. She was nothing anymore without him.

 **Pat.**

She was startled out of her musing and looked up to the man in front of her. He had his hand on top of her head and was patting it gently.

"Now, now, pet. We just got you back up. You should try avoiding thinking too much. Otherwise you'll end up frying your circuits again."

 _Why?_ She wanted to ask him. _Why didn't he want her to fry? Why didn't he want her to end her existence in this cruel and pointless world? Why would she want to keep going after finally realizing that she was of no use to anyone any more?_

"If you didn't have a use, Whistler and I wouldn't have woken you up, luv."

"But why?" she finally asked out loud, because she still didn't understand the reason behind their actions.

"Because apparently you prayed hard enough and was proven worthy to fight the good fight."

"Fight the good fight?"

"That's right, pet. You see, apparently I'm in need of a group of unique and strong individuals to fight by my side against the evil that is threatening the world."

"Strong? Evil? But why me? I am was not created to fight evil."

"Yeah, well neither was I, yet here I am recruiting a bloody sexbot for the job." He sighed, before turning to face her with a serious expression. "But all jokes and sarcasm aside, pet. You have a sentient mind. Meaning-"

"I can go beyond my programming and create logical decisions like a normal human being?"

"Yeah, that's right. But more because it means you technically are alive in the book of some higher being up there." He points to the ceiling. "And that higher being heard your prayers."

"My prayers?"

"You prayed to get out of the darkness-" the man with the hat said, "-and more than once you prayed for things that went beyond your programming about seeing your boyfriend again like praying to-"

"Play at the beach and feel the touch of the water on my knees, smell the flowers in a garden and watch the birds fly in the sky... They were simply musings of my malfunctioning system."

"No, they weren't," the white haired one told her gently as he stepped closer and placed his hand on her cheek. "They were wishes of a woman who wanted more in life than what she was created for. And because of that you became more than just a machine to some god out there. Because of that, they have decided you were worthy to be saved."

"Even if I was worthy to be saved it does not answer the question on why I should help you in your fight."

"Alright, pet, how about you tell what were you made for," he suddenly asked, surprising her.

"I was made by Warren Meers to be the perfect girlfriend. I was created to love him and programmed with different ways to make him always happy," she answered in that infomercial tone of hers. Her face suddenly turned dark as she said the next words. "But Warren left me. He replaced me with another woman and abandoned me in the darkness. He threw me away like trash, even though I did not know what I did wrong. I loved him and I thought I did everything right. So why was I thrown away?"

Tears again gathered in her eyes, making her wonder if she could find a way to destroy the thing that was making cry. Then she was startled when she felt the white haired man's thumb rub away the tear that escaped from her.

"You did nothing wrong, pet. That Warren was a wanker and he didn't deserve you."

"But he made me who I am. If I do not love him then I am nothing."

"Aaah, but that's where you're now wrong, pet." He tilts her head to make her look straight into his beautiful blue eyes. "It is because you know how to love that also makes you more than just a machine and his creation. Being able to love the way you do makes you better than most, because you see, pet, being able to love is what makes humans-well humans. Love lets us form bonds with other people and create new things and do the impossible. Love is a wonderful and powerful thing. And you, being capable of loving, makes you an incredeble person."

"I am a person?"

He chuckles. "Yes. Yes, you are. And that's why I want you in my team. I want you for your unique ability to love-and I guess also because you're amazingly strong. But, nonetheless I want you there."

"If I join you will I be able get all the things I prayed for?"

"Oh, pet, you will get more than that. I promise you, you will get to see the world."

"Will I be able to find a perfect boyfriend to replace Warren?"

He laughed heartily at that. "Yes, pet, I'm sure we can get you something like that ."

 **(O.O)**

She was sitting in isolation again. She never understood why she was always the one who ended up getting blamed. It wasn't her goddamn fault that the riot started. Those damn bitches were the ones who started it. They were the ones who blocked her way to her cell and had tried to kick her ass for not bowing down to their leader. She may be here to repent for all the stuff she did, but that didn't mean she was gonna be anyone's bitch. So she refused and downright told them to fuck off.

The bitches hadn't taken her refusal so well and had started attacking her. They pulled her hair and bitch slapped her. She tried to ignore their attacks and had let them hit her but when they started using handmade weapons to try and kill her-well, it was a different story. So she defended herself and countered their attacks. But when she began fighting back, all the other bitches joined the fight. Before she knew it, it had became an all out prison riot, with her being the center of it, since everyone seemed to be so keen on attacking only her.

When the guards finally decided to intervene it was already too late and she had already beaten up all her opponents. But since she was the last woman standing inside that block of prisoners, the warden had assumed she was the one who started the fight, hence the reason why she was now in isolation.

"Fuck! My life couldn't get any more fucked up than it already is," she said. "One chance. Can't I just get one chance to get myself sorted out and be the Chosen One you assholes chose me to be?! I'm already in prison! You bastards just had to throw those bitches at me and get me in trouble and thrown into isolation?" She looked up at the cell's ceiling. "Yeah, well-fuck you!"

She was angry, even though she knew she had no reason to be angry with anyone, most especially with god. God didn't put her in that place, those bitches did. And they wouldn't have done anything to her if she wasn't new to that prison, where she had just been transferred in from LA. And she wouldn't have been transferred there if she only stopped getting into arguments with the other inmates in her previous prison, who all thought they could dominate her. And she wouldn't have been in prison in the first place if she wasn't such a failure of a human being and a Slayer to everyone who counted on her.

And that was the cause of all her anger. Her being a failure. She was always so angry because she knew that every bad thing that had happened to her was because of her being a failure at everything she did. She failed to save her first Watcher from getting killed. She failed to be a proper Slayer and had ended up killing a lot of innocent people and being used as a tool by people who are evil and do evil things; like trying to kill her sister Slayer and her friends or torturing her ex-Watcher for fun and information. And finally when she realized all the mistakes she had made and had decided to end her life once and for all, she failed even that and had ended up getting talked out of it by a certain soulled vampire, who told her make up for her mistakes by sending herself to prison.

She was sorry for all that she had done, and she really wanted to repent. But god knows how hard it was especially when everyone was trying to tell her she was a hopeless case and she didn't deserve to be redeemed.

"One chance, if I can get one chance maybe I can do better this time and actually prove to everyone that I ain't a failure as they all thought me to be," she silently prayed. "I'll stop comparing myself to B and start working hard on being a good Slayer like I'm suppose to be. And all I need is one tiny chance to let that happen."

"Is that all you really want, Slayer?" a British accented voice resounded from behind her, startling her from her inner monologue.

"Who the fuck are you?!" she asked the punk dressed stranger who had suddenly appeared inside her cell. She felt the tingles at the back of her neck that signified that her intruder was not human.

"'Name's Spike, and I am here to fulfill your wish on getting that one chance to redeem yourself, oh Dark Slayerette," he told her with a sexy smirk.

"Yeah, well, Spike, if you didn't know, I don't do jobs for evil incorporated assholes anymore, even if the said assholes happen to be as fuckable as you." She sneered at him, knowing there was nothing else she could do if the bastard chose to attack her. She was trapped in a small cell after all with no weapons, while her opponent was obviously a vampire and had a lot more up his sleeves than the fangs she knew he hid on his face.

"Flattering, pet. But the thing is, I ain't evil, well, at least not anymore. I'm working for the white hats nowadays and I'm currently looking for a bunch of people who would help me with my cause."

She raised an eyebrow at this. She really didn't believe that this one was one of the good guys as he said he was.

"And what cause is that? World domination? Killing the champion for good? Naw, I think I'll pass," she turned away from him. She knew it was not a good idea to turn her back on her opponent, especially if your opponent was a vampire, but she didn't really care whether the bastard would attack and kill her from behind or not. She was just beyond caring at the moment. "I already did the hired killer gig, didn't really last long and I found out that it wasn't really me. So go away, vamp boy, and find some other loser that you can con into helping you out, because this Slayer ain't interested."

"I'm afraid you weren't listening to me properly, pet," he whispered in her ear, surprising her again for the second time that day at the fact she didn't notice how he was able to get close to her that easily.

She wildly swung her arm to get him away from her, but he easily caught it mid-swing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really shouldn't be attacking the guy who is offering you a way out of here, luv," he told her.

"Who said I want to leave this place, asshole?!" she screamed at him as she tried to pull her arm out of his grasp.

"Well, you did, pet. Remember what you said earlier? About wanting a chance to redeem yourself and prove to everyone that you aren't a failure? Well, I heard it, luv, okay, I didn't hear exactly but someone high up there did and that someone thought to give you that second chance you really wish to have." He let go of her arm and stepped away from her.

He just stood there in front of her, and watched as she thought carefully about the meaning of what he had just said.

 _Someone wanted to give me a second chance? Someone wanted me to prove that I ain't a failure? Is this really possible? Was this really happening?_

"You're not shitting me about this are you, because if you are, asshole, I'll personally dust your sorry ass, even if I have to use my bare hands just to do it," she threatened the vampire.

"This ain't a trick, luv, the Powers that Bugger are really willing to give you a second chance in redeeming yourself to their good graces as long as you are willing to do one thing for them," he told her.

"And what the hell is that?" she asked impatiently. She wanted to know immediately what she had to do to get the one thing she wanted most.

"Well, they want you to work for me," he answered, flashing another sexy smirk on her way.

The answer was not what she expected or what she wanted to hear, thus making her angry at the fucking bastard.

"Now I know this is bullshit! No higher being for good would want a Slayer to work under a vampire!" she stated as she menacingly walked towards him.

"Now, wait just a minute, pet-" he started but was cut off to avoid the punch she aimed his way.

"I'm dusting your sorry ass, vampire!" she said, turning around and aiming another punch in his direction.

He avoided each punch and kick she aimed his way with ease and it only served to irritate her even further.

"Stop moving, asshole! And start fighting me like a real man!" she told him.

But he didn't do what she asked and instead kept avoiding and evading her attacks. Finally fed up at not being able to hit her opponent, she rushed at him and slammed her body on his, making him fall hard on the floor with her on top of him.

"Gotcha!" she said, pinning him down with her Slayer strength. "Got any last words to say before I used my hand and rip your dead heart from your chest?"

"Yeah, I do. April?" he said the last name as if he was calling someone, but she was certain that there was no one else there with them because she couldn't feel anyone else inside the room.

Of course she was proven wrong when she felt a pair of strong hands hold her waist and hauling her skinny ass off the blond vampire.

"Hey! What the fu-" she was unable to finish her words for whoever or whatever was holding her had placed a hand on her mouth and had prevented her from screaming and saying anything else.

"Cussing and other forms of swearing are evil and should not be tolerated. Minors could hear you and would get the wrong impression and would start following you," the woman, or at least it looked like one, said from behind the struggling Slayer.

"Hmmm-hmm-hm-hmmph!" the Slayer said against the hand over her mouth.

"Sorry, pet, I don't really understand what you are saying," the vampire told her with an annoying smug look on its face, making the Slayer even more angry.

She struggled harder to get out of the hold but it was no good. The woman, or whatever it was, was just too strong for her and she was rendered helpless and useless. She couldn't help the small tears of frustration from falling from her eyes as she realized the hopelessness of her situation.

"Let her go, April," the vampire suddenly said and with that she was released from the woman's hold. She was surprised more so when the vampire said his next words. "I'm sorry, luv. I didn't mean to make you cry. April was simply holding on to you so you would stop attacking me and listen to everything that I have to say. After all, you kind of didn't let me finish earlier."

She watched the vampire's oceanic blue eyes and saw the sincerity in them. He meant everything he said, and she then began to think perhaps the vamp wasn't lying like she had thought he was earlier.

"Alright, I'll hear you out. But if I don't like what you have to say, I'm gonna really dust your ass this time," she said, earning a hearty chuckle from the blond vampire.

"Of course, luv. Anyway, to start back again, I am here, sent by the Powers that Bugger, to recruit you to work for me to save the bloody world from evil that their champions are incapable of offing themselves because they are bound by their annoying codes and principles."

"What?" she asked looking even more confused than anything. "What the hell do you mean by that?!"

"Well, it simply means you are being recruited to help a soulless vampire save the world from the evil that threatens it. How is that so hard to understand?"

"Oh, I understand the saving the world part, it's the part where your soulless and that they asked your help to save it that I don't get. I mean, what the hell happened to Angel? Better yet, why aren't you asking the help of Buffy, the other Slayer who can do no wrong? Why are you asking me to help you and not them?"

He growled and gave her a frustrated look. He looked like he really didn't want to explain to her the _why_ part but he knew he had to because she never would believe him if she didn't understand why she was chosen for this job and not the perfect ones, who usually fought for the side of good.

"I ain't asking them because they'd be no help to me. Angelus would sooner dust me than work with me and as for the Slayer?" A distant look crossed his face before immediately dawning a neutral expression. "Well, she ain't gonna agree with a lot of things we'd both be doing in order to save the world."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you and I have something in common, pet. We both know the darkness of the world, in fact, we both are touched by the said darkness, and because of that we have a better understanding of it. We know that evil comes in all shapes and sizes and not just in the form of demons, sometimes evil comes from humans, who are misguided and treat the darkness like its a toy to be played with. But we know better than most that playing with fire can burn us, and not just us but everyone around us. Our job is to find these players and stop them before they spread the flames."

"So what your trying to say is that, since I once killed humans, you think it is okay for me to join you in your cause to kill other humans, who are trying to end the world because Buffy and Angel are too good to do the deed of murdering humans and tainting their hands with the blood of those they are supposed to be protecting, is that it?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," he said, actually feeling a bit stupid for not thinking about explaining everything that way.

"Yeah, well, I think I'll pass."

"Wait-what?!"

"Sorry man, I don't kill people anymore, even if they do deserve it. I don't do those things anymore. It ain't my style."

"Says who? Angel? He tell you that you should be a goody two shoes and rot in this prison and repent for all your sins instead of coming with me and actually doing something about it? Doing actual work in redeeming yourself? Is that what you want?"

"Hey! Angel saved my life! He told me that in order to make up for my sins I should pay for them first, and the first step is to surrender myself to the punishment of the crimes I have committed!"

"And then what? You killed a lot of people, Slayer. Those people are dead and you are paying for their deaths by rotting in this prison and you think that is repenting? That you are gonna get redeemed for doing such a thing? What's your sentence? Sixty years, pet! Your staying here for sixty years! Paying for your crimes, but that would only be good if you had that long to live! Angel told you to pay for your crimes by accepting your punishment as the law dictated it. But what he failed to think about when he mentioned such a thing is that the law doesn't dictate everything. They are laws created by humans, you're a Slayer, you're above the law. Yes, you killed innocent humans, and yes, you deserve to be punished for it. But not by wasting away the gift the bloody Powers gave you! You have a destiny, pet! And how are you gonna fulfill that destiny if you stay in here and rot away. The Powers that Be are giving you a chance at actual redemption. And all you have to do is do what you were born to do and that is to Slay Evil in any look or form!"

She shook her head, not wanting to listen to what he was saying. Everything he said so far made sense in her head, but she knew it was wrong. What he was suggesting, killing people, hurting humans, for the sake of good was wrong. It was not the way of things. It wasn't what Angel wanted her to do. It wasn't what Buffy would do.

"You ain't her, pet. You are your own Slayer. Stop comparing yourself to the damned bint. You can be better than her or worse, but you should not try to be her! Make your own decisions and live for your own reasons. You want redemption, strive for it, don't accept a punishment that you, yourself, can't seem to understand the point of. You are not Angelus, you don't have years to spend rotting and wasting away feeling sorry for yourself. You are a Slayer, but you're not Buffy either. Stop doing what you think the both of them would do and start doing what you want to do."

"But what if when I choose to do what I think I should do and end up being wrong again? What then? Buffy and Angel are never wrong and if I don't follow their lead then-"

But her statement was cut off as the vampire suddenly burst into fits of laughter.

"Never wrong? What bloody rock have you been living in, Slayer, that made you think that those two are so bloody perfect?! Those two make mistakes too, pet, just like any other person you know. The only problem is that the lot of us put them on these pedestals and always see them as flawless smucks that could never do wrong. But when they do do something wrong, everyone else would try to ignore what they've done because they are suppose to be the heroes in the story and the heroes never make mistakes! So they all end up blaming us! The bloody side characters of the story, because we're supposed to be the evil ones even though we've helped them so many times in saving the bloody world. We never get credit for our deeds and we will never be seen as the good guys either because of our bloody past evil deeds!"

As the Slayer listen to the vampire's ranting, she was beginning to think that the said vampire was more involved with Angel and Buffy than she ever was. The way he talked about them seemed like he personally knew the two and had bad experiences with both parties in the past.

 _Just like her._

As she listened, she began to see that there was more to the man than meets the eye and somehow whatever he had gone through mirrored her own past in some way. This made it easier for the Slayer to trust him even more.

"So to sum everything up! Stop relying on those two to be a better person, pet. You can do that on your own, all you have to do is trust in yourself and stop being afraid of making mistakes. Because, bloody hell, we all make them, its how we deal with them that makes us better people."

She gave the vampire an odd look as she thought back on all he just said. It made sense to her, at least a whole lot more than the advice Angel gave her. She could make up for what she'd done and she could do it from outside this place.

 _So what if she'll be killing humans? She's done that before, and as long as she only killed the ones who tried to end the world, it was alright then, right?_

"Alright," she said softly, "I accept your offer."

"Great! Now-"

"But I have one condition!" she cut him off. He looked at her expectantly before she said what she had in mind. "If I ever find out you're only using me for some unknown evil purpose, so help me I will personally drag you skinny white ass straight to hell. You got me?"

The blond vampire simply laughed at her threat and replied, "Baby, if I end up lying to you, then I'll tie myself up and personally hand my skinny ass to you on a silver platter."

 **(O.O)**

He was bored.

All day he was just sitting inside this white government prison cell, waiting for something to happen. Of course nothing ever does happen, thus increasing the boredom he was already feeling. They had placed some sort of device around his neck that prevented him from speaking, thus disabling him from doing spells to get himself out.

He was angry.

He was a fucking Chaos Mage of Pete's sake and he was being kept prisoner by the American government because Ripper's Slayer happened to have connections with one of their personnel. It simply infuriated him.

He wanted to get out. He wanted to leave. Bloody hell he'd give anything to be able to do just that! Hell, he'd probably sell his soul again, just as long as he gets out of this hell hole.

"You really sure about that, mate?" A voice resounded by the door of his room and suddenly the physical form of a man wearing a long leather coat and had platinum blond hair appeared.

"Hmm-agg-ell-um-urgh?" he asked muffled by the device he was wearing.

"Hello to you too." The man smirked. "If you're asking who I am in that high tech gag of yours, then let me just introduce myself as your Savior. I'm you're one ticket out of this joint."

"Hmfhd-gush-susnfhhe-mfm?"

"Hmm, not sure what that meant but anyway, I will get you out of here under one condition-"

 **Beep! Beep! Beep!**

The alarms in the cell began to blare.

"Looks like my cover's blown. But anyway, as I said I'm here to free you under one condition, and that is that if I get you out of hre you will be working for me. And not just gonna work for me once but you will work for me for the remainder of you sad human existence."

"Uh!"

"No? Well, then I will be off." He turned away from the gagged man and started disappearing out of thin air. "Oh, and by the way, after this little stunt, I'm sure your captors will be questioning how you summoned up someone with that gag of yours. But don't worry the worse thing that they could do to you is place you into isolation and tie you up like a mummy for the remainder of your life. So no big deal, right?"

Panicked surged through him as the image of what the man portrayed to him crossed his thoughts.

 _He didn't want that!_

"Uayt!" the chaos mage called out. "Ofyat! El euvrs uhh!"

"You will now? Well I don't know... You already declined." The bastard was playing with him and anger surged through the mage. But also fear as he heard the running footsteps of his guards rushing towards his cell.

"Ughs-jduab-hjigd!"

"Alright, alright. But before I accept your loyalty. I'd like to do something first." With that said the man changed his human look into his demonic visage.

"Umhpre!" he cried trying to back away from the demon.

But the blond haired man was already on him. With a swift movement his fangs went straight to the mage's throat and drank his blood while at the same time growling the bonding blood ritual to forever bind the man to him.

As the man slowly lost consciousness, he vaguely saw the image of his prison door opening and soldiers entering his room before everything faded to black.

 **(O.O)**

It hurt! She was hurting all over. Yet at the same time she wanted the pain, the euphoria it brought her, along with the highness of the feeling of being so strong and filled with magic.

She thought she lost that after Willow killed Rack, but she was able to get it back. In another city, from another man with the same power! The man wasn't as strong as Rack but he was enough to fill her desperate need for the power surge inside her body. It made her extremely happy and oblivious to he chaos that was brewing around her. She distantly heard screaming and explosions but she couldn't bring herself to care about all that. She was simply extremely happy.

"Hey! Looks like one of them is still alive!" she heard someone say. It was a woman's voice. But she still didn't care.

"Looks like one of the lucky ones who haven't been completely lifesucked by the bastard," another voice echoed, this time it was a man's voice.

"Her vitals seems stable though physically she looks extremely ill," another voice said, female again this time, only with a too perky to be human tone of voice.

"Of course, she would look ill, her bloody life force had been sucked in exchange for a little bit of magic," another voice of a man sneered.

She knew by now that they were talking about her. But still she didn't cared, she was still having the time of her life.

"You seem angry. I thought these kinds of things were you were once kind of into," the first woman's voice she heard told the last man who spoke.

"God no! I have more class that this. Besides I am a Chaos mage, or was a Chaos Mage before a certain vampire blackmailed me to joining his stupid team." The man paused and for some reasons, she was able to imagine that the man was glaring at someone. "Anyway, I revel in chaos, this-this is not chaos, this is blasphemy to all magic users. Using magic to make other witches and wizards strong while slowly taking their life force away? It is simply barbaric and a disgrace to any one who uses magic."

"So you don't believe in magic addiction?" The other man in the room asked.

"No, I do believe in magic addiction, it is always inevitable to happen to untrained witches and wizards. But what I really hate are those witches and wizards who take advantage of the inexperienced and cause their addiction to happen or worsen it in the first place. They are the ones who deserve every bit of punishment possible for doing what they do to all these magnificent individuals who would've had a good future in magic had they only been given a chance."

"Huh! Who would have thought that you had principles!" The over perky voiced woman stated.

"Oh, stuff it you stupid robot!"

"Hey! You such a bad and rude man! You will never get a girlfriend if you keep acting that way!"

"I don't want a girlfriend, you idiot!"

"That's probably 'cause you're so old and with an Erectile Dysfunction!" the other woman told him.

"Why you uncouth bitc-"

"Enough!" The voice of the other man echoed through the place. "This isn't the right time and place to be fighting. So save it when we get back to headquarters. Besides, I think we have better things to worry about, like this young woman here." She felt a cold hand touch her shoulder and shivered at the unexpected contact. "Rayne, what are this girl's chances of survival if we were to take her to a medical facility?"

"Very slim. Those idiots wouldn't know what to do with her," the other man answered.

"April, where is the nearest coven in the area?"

"Well, based on my upgraded system readings. The nearest would be two hundred kilometers east from our current location," perky girl answered.

"Damn," the man said.

She was slowly regaining actual consciousness now. But the happiness she had been experiencing earlier was slowly disappearing now and was steadily replaced with the excruciating feeling of being burned alive.

She heard screaming again before she realized that it was her that was doing it.

"Shit! Rayne, can't you do something about this?" the man asked with urgency in his voice.

"Bloody hell NO! I am not that strong to be able prevent her magic from exploding! It would require an entire coven to do just that! And even then she would still end up dead!"

"So you can't do anything?!"

"I can teleport us out of here! An explosion of her magic would kill all of us, even the pesky bot!"

"Hey! We can't just leave her!" The fiery voice of one of the women in the group said.

"Well, we can't stay either! We either leave and let her die alone or we all die together, your choice!"

Silence followed from all of the people within the room. Before finally she heard chanting which she identified was a teleportation spell being cast.

 _They were going to leave her!_

"Nooo! Please don't leave me!" she cried and begged them. "I-I-I don't want to die! Please!"

Another moment of silence passed and it made her think that they had already decided to abandon her.

She let out frustrated scream as she realized the hopelessness of her situation. She was in pain and she was being left to die all by herself. She was hurting all over but she had no one to blame but herself. She was the one who decided to come to this place to get high. She was the one who allowed those mages to use her life force in exchange for getting the magical boost she wanted. So it all her fault that she was going to die at this very moment so she should just accept the consequences of her decisions.

Yet she couldn't help but still say- "I don't want to die.." at the very last moment.

"You won't, dearie," the voice of the man who was called Rayne told her. Before addressing his companions with urgency. "Alright, I will only have a few seconds to do this, so you sodding amateurs better be ready!"

She heard chanting yet again, only this time she was not familiar with the spell. A few seconds later she felt the heat that had surrounded her body slowly ebbing, and as the chanting continued she knew that these people were doing something to save her. She was actually gonna be saved!

"Gaia, I implore thee! Gaia, I implore thee! Protect this child from fire and share to us the cause of her pain! _Delaie corvino sulme nevat!_ "

With that she felt the burning sensation in her body disappear before a powerful light surrounded the room. She heard the screams of her saviors and hoped with all hope that they did not end up dead because of her.

A few moments later, the light cleared and colors slowly returned inside the room. The young woman, who moments earlier was at death's door was now sitting up and began scanning the room for those who had obviously saved her life.

"So it worked," the voice of the man who performed the spell said from behind her.

Immediately she turned to see her savior and was horrified at the sight of his burned up clothes. She looked beside the man and found that there were three others with him; two dark haired beautiful women and a platinum blond haired man, all of them sharing the same disheveled look. The white haired man looked familiar but she couldn't place where she'd seen him at the moment. Of course she didn't care about that because all she cared about was that she was alive and that they had saved her.

"Thank you!" she said as she ran and hugged the mage in the group.

"Unhand me, woman!" he told her but she didn't do that, because she was too happy and grateful at the man, who earlier had thought of leaving her to die but changed his mind and ended up saving her sorry butt.

At that moment she decided that she would do whatever it took to repay the man for what he had done for her.

 **(O.O)**

Mexico was the only place they could think of that was faraway from the authorities who wanted to send them to jail and also from the Slayer's witchy friend who wanted to kill them. So here they were hiding in what they thought was a safe haven for them that turned out to be nothing more than a run down house with bad plumbing and air-conditioning. Man how they missed the city life. Where electricity wasn't so expensive and an internet signal wasn't so hard to come by. It couldn't also be helped that they both missed cable, at least with it they'd still have their favorite shows to keep them from ever getting bored or depressed because of how sad and pathetic their life had turned out to be.

 _Well at least they still had each other_. Or that's what Jonathan thought until Andrew drew a knife and almost stabbed him from behind. Almost because he was saved by who he recognized as Buffy the Vampire Slayer's pet vampire, Spike.

He looked at the guy who he thought was his friend and felt betrayed by him. He risked his future for him and Warren, but in the end they both, in one way or another, stabbed him in the back. But Andrew did it quite literally just now and if the vampire hadn't come , he'd be dead by now.

How did his life turn out this way he didn't know, but he was no longer gonna let someone he knew was weaker than him get the best of him anymore!

"You tried to kill me, you bastard!" he screamed at him at he ran towards the other young man and began punching him repeatedly. "I gave up my future for both you and Warren, my life, my family! I betrayed a woman who constantly saved my ass back in high school, and what do I get in return? You both go on and stab me on the back! You coward! Sissy! You couldn't even try to kill me in front of my face! What?! Too afraid to see whatever look I'd give you?! Well, look at me now, you asshole! I'm alive and I will kill you!" He stopped his punches and picked the blade the other man dropped and raised it in an attempt to kill the back stabbing asshole forever.

But when his arm tried to descend he felt another hand grab hold of his and stop him from doing the deed.

"Let me go!" he screamed to the vampire holding his wrist. "This bastard tried to kill me!"

"I know," was all the vampire said before pulling his body off the prone body of his ex-bestfriend. "But I also want to know why he did so."

"Isn't it obvious?! He did it because he's a back stabbing basta-"

"Shut up!" the vampire ordered shutting him up completely. Then he turned back to his ex-bestfriend, looked down at him, and began questioning him. "Why did you do it, boy?" he asked him.

Andrew was shaking but Jonathan couldn't give a rat's ass about the bastard. All he wanted was for the vampire to finish his questions so he can go back to killing the guy. He had a right to want it after all.

"Warren told me," was all he said.

"See? He's crazy! Warren is dead, so he couldn't have told him to stab me! Just go away vampire and let me have my revenge!"

"I said shut it!" he commanded again, only this time there seemed to be a dangerous underlying threat in his voice. After that he turned to Andrew yet again and asked, "What do you mean by " _Warren told you_ "? Didn't you know that bot-boy was already dead?"

"He is, but he isn't. I sa-saw him! He said that he didn't really die. in fact that he's really alive and I can't touch him! But he said that its only temporary. He said that he was lonely and he wanted me and Jonathan to join him! I was supposed to give him Jonathan first!"

"He's a real nutter!" Jonathan stated, looking disgustedly at him.

"Perhaps, but I have my fare share of living with insane people, but this boy is not one of them. He looks as though he really believes that your friend really did tell him to do it."

"Like I said he's nuts! Just let me kill him already!"

"And like I said shut up! I'm trying to get answers here!" The vampire then turned towards the shadows of the alley and called out to someone. "Rayne, you got what he just said?"

"Every detail," a man with a classier British accent, who appeared from the shadows, said. "And just like what you said, he shares the same delusions as the others. Someone from the dead telling them to kill the people they love. You think this is another one of those ghostly cases, that the Powers wants us to solve?"

"Or it could be something more," the vampire stated. "I smell a very dark evil force surrounding this boy, and I believe he's our link to this so called evil."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because he's the only one out of the lot of them who seemed to still have his rational mind in him."

"Rational mind? Didn't you see that he tried to kill me?!" Jonathan reminded them.

"What I saw was a boy trying to do something to impress his dead friend but hesitated at the very last moment because he couldn't really kill his other friend for the sake of someone who he is still doubting that he's his friend."

"You really got all that from those few seconds we were observing these two?" the other British man asked him.

"Naw, I got it from the part that he just laid there and allowed this other boy-" He pointed at Jonathan. "-to beat his ass off and almost stab him in return. He should've fought it. Bloody hell, he should've at least shielded himself, but he didn't. And instead he was gonna accept his fate. If this Warren friend of his, was really telling the truth then he'd just come back from the dead, like the bastard, and the two of them could've convinced this one to take his own life or something . Am I right, kid?" The last one he addressed to Andrew, who finally looked up at all of them with eyes stained in tears.

"Wa-Warren, said we could still rule the world together and be more than losers if we just followed him," he said.

"Now the thing is, mate, Warren is dead and whatever ghost you're talking to, isn't your friend," the vampire told him and they all watched as his face crumbled in despair.

"If so, then I-then I-!"

"Almost killed your other friend for nothing? Yes, you did," the other British man supplied.

Andrew began sobbing after that revelation. He looked so broken and Jonathan almost felt for him. But he stayed firm. Whether he was being manipulated to it or not, the guy still tried to kill him, so, friend or not, he no longer wanted anything to do with the bastard. He turned away from his pathetic form and his gaze went to the other two men in that alley. They were still discussing something important or it seemed that it was important, because they both were sharing a grim look on their faces.

"You guys, know what manipulated him to try and have me killed?"

"Well, we can't really rule out that it was really your dead friend that asked him to do it," the vampire told him.

"But neither can we rule out that it was something more sinister than that," his companion followed.

"But do you think you two would be able to find out about it?"

"We're trying to find out at this moment," the vampire answered him, giving him a calculated look before asking, "Why do you ask?"

"I want to know so I can find out who tried to have me killed by using my bestfriend."

"And your point in trying to find out about it is-?" the vampire asked.

"So I can kill that bastard myself!" he stated it with so much conviction that surprised all the men in that alley, including Jonathan himself.

This was the first time in all his life that he actually wanted to do something for himself and was standing up to it. It wasn't as admirable as many would think, he was doing it to kill someone or something after all, but it was still something for him to stick up for himself and what he wanted.

The vampire stared at the boy and looked like he was contemplating something.

"Ooh, I know that look! And I protest vehemently!" his companion told him.

"What?! I haven't said anything yet," the vampire said.

"No, you didn't but I already know the line of thought you were thinking! You want this young man to join our cause!" He pointed out to the vampire, who simply grinned back at him.

"Well, he does seem to fit the bill for our group now, doesn't he?"

"It does not matter whether he fits the bill or not! We are not letting him join us! Haven't you picked up enough strays as it is!"

"The Powers never gave me a limit to the people I would recruit."

"Well, they should have! I object to this!"

"Your opinions are dully noted, mate!"

"Ugh! Why did I ever make that deal with you?!"

Like a ping pong ball Jonathan's head moved from one man to the other trying to catch or understand the conversation between them, that he was certain was about him. When the British man said the last part, Jonathan turned to the vampire and saw that he had a very amused expression. Before he addressed him.

"Tell me, boy, do you really want to have your revenge on whatever entity it was that wanted to have you killed?"

He asked him, to which he answered with similar conviction he displayed moments earlier. "I do. Since I now know I can't kill Andrew, I at least want a piece of the bastard who made him do it."

"Good, then you should blend perfectly in my team," the vampire said before turning dramatically from him, leather coat swishing along with the action, and walked out of the alley to where his companion exited earlier.

"What do you mean by that?! Hey!" Jonathan called as he ran to follow both men, leaving Andrew to wallow on his pathetic existence alone.

 **(O.O)**

 _The field is set and the players are all completed. Now what fun shall we have with each and every one of them..._ A distorted voice echoed through the night, unheard of by the vampire, whom it was observing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Notes:**

Hi guys, here's another update, I was so happy a lot of you liked the first one that I made this story that was supposed to be a three part one-shot into a five chapter one because of a lot of people saying really cool stuff that I just had to ! I already have the chapters worked on so I'll probably be updating weekly until I finished.

Before you read bare in mind the following:

This is set near the end of season 7, when Scoobies and the Potential all turned against Buffy.

Andrew still came back to Sunnydale and since Jonathan was not around, he instead sacrificed his brother, Tucker, to the Hellmouth.

Due to the fact that Faith wasn't around during the time Angelus came out in LA, Buffy was the one Angel Investigations called to help. Both her and Willow.

Due to Spike not being in Sunnydale, the First actually used Robin Woods, who everyone learned was Nikki's son, to open the Hellmouth. And he did not survive, to avoid complications and also because I haven't forgiven him for trying to kill Spike.

Angel still took over Wolfram and Hart and all that stuff with Jasmine still happened, but it happened and ended sooner so he went to aid Buffy and his friends to fight the first.

All the events of season 7 happened almost the same way, only without Spike in the mix. But if you have questions about how it happened that is not stated above, then guess you can just ask them in a review and I'll answer them for you! Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the story!

oh and before I forget, special thanks to my lovely Beta, **djellibabe**. Couldn't have done this without you! Thank you!

 **(O.O)**

A large black SUV rolled into the small town of Sunnydale in the middle of the night. Inside it were six individuals wearing thick robes with hoods that covered their heads and shadowed their faces. The vehicle moved at a steady pace right until the large sign that said "Welcome to Sunnydale" came to view. And when it did, the car's driver hit the accelerator and intentionally hit the sign, toppling it to the ground.

With a satisfied smirk, the driver went outside the car and walked up in front of it to inspect his work with pride.

"Did you really have to hit the damn thing? I mean, what's wrong with coming to town without the property damage involved?" one of his female companions asked him. She too wore a robe and had her head covered by the hood, but her long ebony locks were still seen cascading at the side of her hood. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at her companion.

He merely shrugged, and answered her haughtily, "Of course! It's tradition to hit the damn thing every time I come to town! It brings good luck or something."

"Funny, as I remember your tales about your experiences in this town, I seem to recall you saying that you never had any luck while you stayed here. Doesn't that actually say something?" another one of his companions wearing similar clothing and was still sitting within the car, told him from the window. Now this one was a man and had similar accent to the driver of the vehicle, only much more upper class than the driver's.

"Shut it, you git!" came the driver's angry reply.

"This robe is itchy!" another woman inside the SUV complained. She turned to the man beside her, who was responsible for the robes they were wearing, and asked, "Why are we using these things again?"

"Because they will prevent our enemies from finding out that we came in to town," the Brit answered the woman exasperatedly.

"But why these itchy things? Why not something cute like shirts? Why didn't you use our shirts to be the medium to shield us from being detected?" she asked the man again, while scratching a part of her arm that was hidden underneath the robe.

"Because shirts don't have magical properties like these robes do, so I can't use them for the anti-detection spell that was needed! And will you stop that infernal scratching? You're supposed to be a robot, why in the world would you feel itchy in the first place!?"

"I was created to have sensitive sensory skin, it makes me easily feel the texture of sexual objects my boyfriend would rub or have me touch. He used to say that it turns him on when I can guess what he places on my private parts!" was the woman's enthusiastic answer.

"I now regret asking," the man muttered in his seat.

"Man, this place hasn't changed in the few months I've been away, huh?" another one of the robed men in the car voiced out. This one appeared to be the shortest person in the group.

"Well, we haven't really been gone that long. I wonder how Willow is doing," stated the last robed member. She had a book of spells in her lap but was staring wistfully at the vehicle's window.

"We'll find out once we get to the Slayer's residence," the driver told them as he reentered the car.

"Yeah. And I wonder how they will take to us helping them out?" the short robed man asked out loud.

"They probably won't believe us and will most likely try to kill the lot of us," the classy cloaked Brit said negatively while resettling his bag of spell ingredients on his lap and earning himself glares from his companions. He noticed their looks and said, "What? Oh, don't give me that look, you all know I'm right. After all, most of us in this group tried to kill these people at least a time or two in the past."

"He's got a point," the first robed woman from earlier stated as she too settled on her seat, "No matter how helpful we'd be, B and her chums ain't gonna trust us just cause we were sent by some higher power to help them."

"And that's why Whistler went ahead of us to inform the lot of who we all are and what we're all doing here. He'll be the one responsible in getting the Slayer and the others ready for us," the SUV's driver told them, before he started the engine and began driving to the one place he never expected he'd return to: 1630 Revello Drive, the Slayer's house.

 **(O.O)**

They were voting her off the island or, in this case, off her position as their leader. They wanted someone else, namely Angel, of all people, to help lead them to victory because apparently she was too _reckless_ , too _impulsive_ , and obviously too _highly strung_ to lead the troops.

"Listen, you don't wanna do this." She turned to her oldest friends."Guys, tell them. This is a mistake." But she was met with silence. "I don't-this _isn't_ happening," she said in disbelief as she took a step back from her so called _friends_.

"Buffy, you need rest," her redheaded witch friend told her, before the said witch turned to Xander for strength to say what she was gonna say next. With his nod of approval, she continued, "So maybe we should let someone else take the wheel until you do."

"Maybe it isn't such a terrible idea. I mean even if it was dead boy and his team who would take the wheels, at least we know he can handle things better, for now. After all he is a _Champion_ for good too," Xander, her now one-eyed friend, told her.

If Xander was supporting _Angel_ at a time like this, then the world really was going to _hell_.

She shook her head and turned to look at Angel, the first love of her life, and saw in his eyes that he was not disagreeing with any one of them. In fact he looked like he was alright with taking the leadership from her.

And if she looked deeper, she could've sworn he looked smug about it too.

 _So much for the knight in shining armor routine, looks more like start-a-mutiny-and-replace-the-captain-of-the-ship to me!_

"Guys, we have a chance to end this. I can't just stay here and-and watch Angel and his team lead you off to some disaster."

"And what makes you think they will Buffy?"

She turned and was surprised to see that it had been her own sister who said those words.

"Dawn?"

"No! Don't _Dawn_ me! This isn't just all about you anymore. All of us are involved in this and what gives you the right to say that Angel and his team will lead us to disaster. If anyone has done that, it has been you!"

 _Now Dawn was supporting Angel too? And was she seriously telling her that she was the cause of the disaster that happened to them? Unbelievable!_

"Dawnie, I can't-" but she wasn't able to finish it. She couldn't. _It was all too much._ Everyone had turned their backs on her. They had all decided to _abandon her._

"Then you can't stay here," Dawn finished for her. "Look I love you, but you can't be a part of this. If you can't work with everyone then I don't think-I don't think that you can face this at all. This one you have to sit out."

Buffy looked devastated at the final betrayal that had come her way.

"I'm sorry, but this is my house too. Either you let Angel handle things or- or you have to leave."

Buffy looked shock. She stared at her sister, then at her Watcher and friends, then at Angel and his team before looking at everyone else in the room. They all looked like they didn't plan on backing down. They all looked like they had made their final decision.

"Alright," she whispered quietly, so that almost everyone didn't hear her. "I'll go..." She then turned away from them, and practically missed the surprised look that crossed everyone's faces, but before she could head to the door she was met by someone she had not expected to see.

"Whistler!" she said in surprise at the man's sudden appearance.

"Glad to know you still remember me, kid," the man smirked at her.

"Hard to forget the hat, bad smell and terrible fashion sense," she replied dryly.

"Ouch. And here I thought you would be more welcoming than last time."

"Cut to the chase, mister. I don't have all day. If you haven't noticed, I've over stayed my welcome in this house," she said, while her head tilted to point at the crowd behind her.

"Yeah, heard the entire thing, and I gotta hand it to you hero types, you really are _something_." He eyed her treacherous companions behind her. "I mean, when you do evil, you people really go all out, don't you? Because seriously? What did the Slayer ever did to any of you besides work her ass off to save and protect every single one of you ungrateful people. Sure she made a few mistakes, got the lot of you hurt and killed, but didn't you followed her there? Wasn't it all of your decisions to go with her to that place? So why are you all ganging up on her and actually throwing her out of her own house, the _house_ , if you all are forgetting, _that she's paying for with her own sweat and tears_? Man, and I thought I had seen a lot of evil to last a lifetime but this-" He gestured at her friends. "-coming from the people who were supposed to be on the side of good? Here own friends and sister no less? This by far ranks the top of all the evil deeds. You people betrayed your Champion and Protector, your Savior! Man, you lot should be ashamed of yourselves!"

She was silent in all this. Not expecting that someone, who she had once threatened, was actually defending her from her friends and family. She looked at everyone in the room and saw that they all shared the same shamed and guilty facial expression.

She didn't know what to feel about that. Whether she should be happy someone told her friends off and made them feel bad for kicking her out, or angry that someone had to be the one to defend her and point out their flaws before they realized they had any.

Of course none of those things mattered to her anymore. She was already done with every one of them, because whether or not they were sorry for trying to throw her out of her own house earlier, they still did the deed. Whistler coming here only stopped her from leaving fully because he was blocking her way.

"Whistler, what the hell are you doing here?" Angel asked, being the first to recover from the shock and onslaught of hurtful truths the agent had just told them.

"Angel, do you know who this man is?" Giles asked the ensoulled vampire, after recovering from the shock too.

"Yeah, he's an agent of the Powers that be. They're in charge of maintaining the balance between Good and Evil within all realms."

"So he's one of the good guys?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, you could say that. He's the one who sent me to Buffy years ago," Angel informed.

"So you're the one who should be blamed for _Angelus appearance in Sunnydale_ ," Giles said eying the man with contempt.

"Woah, there Watcher, don't blame me for that. It's not my fault that Angel and your Slayer couldn't keep their parts off each other. And more importantly, it's not my fault soul boy over there didn't research the full extent of his curse before accepting this champion gig. I mean, a soulled vampire? At the time he sounded like the great man for the job to protect the Slayer from the Master, of course I didn't know he'd also be useless because he never even fought the Master to do just that. Which is why the Powers sent another _Champion_ to aid the Slayer. And this time, this one has more experience in the field of doing good than soul boy over there."

"Another _Champion_? What the hell do you mean by that?" Angel asked, looking completely pissed off.

"Ooh, don't look at me like that. The Powers gave you a job to protect this Slayer, but what do you do? You let her die, had sex with her at a young age and lost your soul thus making her life a living hell, made her kill your soulled self to save the world, came back only to leave her again all while saying it was for her own good. Man, you screwed things up with her good, but you kept screwing it up by showing up every time you thought she needed you, but you never stayed to really help out. Now you come here, under the pretense of helping her, but what do you? You were going to kick her off the team and out of her own house!"

"I didn't kick-"

" _No_ , _you didn't_. But you didn't stop them either. So excuse me if the Powers are quite reluctant to have you helping their Chosen One fight the number One Evil of all Evils."

After hearing these words from the agent's mouth, Buffy then too realized just how much Angel contributed to the suckiness of her life. And she could not help but be angry at him for it, more so since he didn't seem to be bothered by the things he had done to her life that affected her so much, instead he was more bothered at the thought of being replaced by someone else in being the _Power's golden boy._

"But I thought-"

"Oh, don't worry, you are still a Champion. Just not Buffy's Champion." The agent paused to look at her, before giving her a strange look.

 _What the heck was that suppose to mean?_

She wanted to ask but she wasn't able to before he continued.

"Someone has that job now and he and his team are on their-oh, wait! They're already here!" The agent turned towards the window and they all saw the headlights of a black SUV park itself in front of the Slayer's house. "Shit! They're early. He's really gonna skin me alive for not finishing with the explanation and introduction of who they are before they got here," he muttered to himself before turning to the people in the house. "Alright, listen up! See that vehicle? It belongs to the people who the Powers sent to help you lot out. You all have a bad history with most of them but they are the good guys now and they will be a great help in this battle, so be nice to them! And yes, Slayer _no staking_ or harming any one of these people! They're here to help and you need them so please work together, okay?"

He waited for the group to give him an affirming answer but instead he got a scream from one of the potential Slayers that were inside the house and were currently watching as four ubervamps and a large group of Bringers walked towards the SUV that was parked on their front lawn.

"Dammit!" Buffy cursed, before taking one of the axes from the weapons chest and moving towards the front door to assist their would-be helpers.

If they were supposed to help them out, it would do them no good if they ended up dead before they could do so.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?!" Whistler grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could step outside though.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm gonna go out and rescue your so-called special team so they don't end up dead before they get a chance to help," she answered him before pulling her arm away and stepping outside her house to see that the occupants of the car had already gotten out of it.

Six. There were six of them wearing thick brown robes that had hoods that covered their heads and faces. The only way she could tell them apart from men or women was that the women in the group seemed to have strands of their hair visible from the hood's cover and their robes were smaller than the men. Theirs only reaching their midriff thus revealing to her their curved bodies while the men of the group had theirs reach to their knees.

A couple of them seemed to be having a loud conversation with each other instead of looking like they should be worried about the enemies that were standing in front of them. She couldn't hear what they were saying but it seemed that they were having an argument. Two of the women in the group were arguing with their tallest male companion, not caring that the ubervamps and Bringers were already set to attack them.

"Idiots," she stated before once again moving to attack the enemies to give these people a chance to get inside her home. _At least there, these people still had a small chance of survival._

She was but a few steps away of her home when once again was stopped by the annoying agent of the Powers that Annoy the heck out of her Life.

"Dammit! Let go! I have to help them!" she shouted as she struggled from his hold on her body. But no matter how hard she struggled she couldn't break free.

 _Damn! He's stronger than he looks._

"No, you really don't," he told her, his voice had a serious and authorative tone in it that the Slayer hadn't known the half-demon agent was capable of. "Don't worry, Slayer. This is a good thing. Now you guys get to see just how strong the new additions to your team really are," the man stated calmly, while eying the group in front of him. He knew that the Slayer was doing the same thing too and so were the rest of her team of traitors who all were still staying within the safety of the porch of her house.

It didn't matter to him anymore that not one of those people followed their Slayer to help the group outside, this was a problem that the Slayer should solve herself, not him. Besides he already said what he had to say to the ungrateful bastards, all they have to do now is listen to what he had said and actually change how they all treat their Slayer from here on out. This was the ultimate battle after all, and these people needed this Slayer's help to stop whatever was coming. If they didn't stop what they were doing and stop acting the way they were acting they will lose more than just their friend and sister. They will lose their lives and the world too. So yeah, it was a bit important for them to change their ways, but again he was just lucky he didn't have to be the one to do it.

He continued to watched the group and it seemed they were in a bit of an argument with one another. His enhanced hearing told him they were bickering about the robes they all were forced to wear and had found them useless since their presence were still caught by their enemy.

He sighed at this team's antics. They all may be the best of all the group of champions he and the Powers had gathered to help for the side of Good but dammit if this group's members could last a day without some form of argument happening. He was only glad that their fighting and bickering never seemed to mess up on their team work, like another certain team of do-gooders he knew. Instead, the fighting amongst themselves seemed to have the opposite effect. It had seemed to help them be even more united than any team he had a chance of help building. _Which is why this team was his favorite white hat team there was out there._

Their arguments of course were cut short when an ubervamp had gone and tackled the smallest member of their team. He heard the Slayer gasp in his arm, but he kept his firm hold on her. He wasn't really worried. The boy, which the vamp had attacked, was not the same boy he once was when the team first recruited him. Oh, he had become stronger than that. After being part of this group in those last few months, he had gained new abilities that helped him fight for their cause.

 _Of course if he really thought about it, every member of the group had at least grown stronger in the time they had been together, which is another reason why he really liked this group of heroes._

The Slayer in his arm gasped again, thus pulling him out of his musing. He looked up and smiled at the image that presented before him.

The boy that the ubervamp attacked had suddenly turned himself into an ubervamp too and was practically ripping his attacker to pieces. The next scenes that happened, all happened too fast for the Slayer in his arms to react.

While the boy was busy tearing his attacker to pieces, the rest of his companions were all busy attacking their enemies.

A red glow suddenly surrounded one of the female hooded fighters. Then she lifted her delicate hand and aimed it at the armed Bringers, who suddenly found themselves frozen in place.

Another hooded companion followed her actions, only instead of red, he was glowing a dark green glow, and as he lifted his hand the frozen Bringers were all suddenly lifted from the ground. An ubervamp seeing the threat these magic users posed angrily ran at them but suddenly found itself caught on fire which the green glowing stranger started without its notice.

Another female hooded stranger stepped up next to her magical companions and lifted both her hand and aimed her fingers at the frozen and elevated Bringers. Buffy was then surprised to see that the woman's manicured fingers opened up to reveal small gun barrels in them, and, before she could process the entire bizarre thing, the woman had fired and bullets pierced the frozen Bringers chests, killing them all instantly.

Meanwhile the remaining two hooded figures were both busy fighting the last two ubervamps. The female hooded fighter was practically going toe to toe with the ancient vampire. Her glowing golden sword slashing and actually doing damage to the monster. It didn't take her long before she was able to actually kill the beast via beheading. As it's head rolled on the grassy ground, she turned to face her companion, who was actually busy toying with the beast.

"Just kill it already!" she shouted, earning a growl from her hooded partner.

"You ruin my fun," was the man's reply before somersaulting over the ubervamp and beheading the creature from behind.

Buffy froze upon hearing the man's familiar voice.

 _It can't be!_ She thought as she stared at the stranger.

Loud applause were then heard from the house as most of its occupants started going outside to greet the amazing group of individuals who single-handedly defeated an small army of their powerful enemy. A lot of the young potentials excitedly ran outside to a approach the group, but were all suddenly stopped by Buffy's urgent order.

"Stop!" she yelled, preventing everyone from approaching. They all stared at her as if she had grown another head but she didn't care. Her sole focus had been on the hooded man who had defeated the last ubervamp in the most spectacular way any of them had ever seen.

The man simply stood there and stared at her within the shadows of his hood. His companions approached him protectively when the petite Slayer slowly walked towards him. But he signaled them to back down and simply waited on what the Slayer would do next. Of course before he knew it he found himself under the receiving end of one of her strong right hooks.

"Ow!" he cried as his head snapped back upon impact.

"Buffy!" she heard her friends call her, and knew they were giving her disapproving looks. But she didn't care. All she cared was that she was now certain that she knew who the man underneath the hood was.

"Some things never change, huh, Slayer?" the man said as he stood straight up, his hood having been thrown off his head by the woman's attack, revealing to the group the familiar handsome face of their platinum blond haired previous resident chipped vampire.

"Spike?!" everyone of the Scoobies and Angel exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hello, all! Long time no see!" he said with a smirk and giving them all of them a short wave of his hand.

 **(O.O)**

Okay he should've known better than to think he could trick the Slayer. She knew him too much that it didn't really come as a surprise to him that she was the first to recognize him. The punch, though he'd admit he should've expected, was familiar but at the same time it hurt him to think that even now, after all this time they had been apart, violence was still the way she greeted him.

Once his cover was blown, he reveled at the surprised and horrified looks the Scoobies and his darling Grandsire sent his way but when he turned towards the Slayer, it was his turn to look surprised at the look she sent him.

 _Was that tears he was seeing in the corner of her eyes? Was she crying because she was happy to see him? Or because he showed himself after all this time?_

He opened his mouth to ask her, but was cut off as the magnificent poof started spouting nonsense at Whistler, demanding the poor agent to tell them what the meaning of all of this was.

 _Idiot. Ain't it obvious. I'm here because the Powers thought my help would be more of use to the Slayer than your annoying and self-righteous ass would be._

He stared at Angel and then at Giles, who also joined in the conversation with the agent. An argument had started between the lot of them and he was growing tired of it all. So he opened his mouth in an attempt to quiet the bloody arguing bastards, but was once again cut off when the Slayer beat him to it.

"Angel, Giles! Shut it!" she told them. "You're never gonna get answers from him if you two keep talking and interjecting when ever he tries to answer. Now shut up, relax and lets all wait until the man finishes explaining."

As she was busy reprimanding the two, he was busy admiring her.

God! A year has passed and he had been through a lot of changes himself, yet seeing his precious Slayer put down the two important men in her life made him weak on his knees again and he couldn't help but feel his heart annoyingly constrict at the magnificent sight of her strength and power. She was still as beautiful as he remembered her, well, slightly underweight, but was still beautiful all the same. She still smelled amazing too; vanilla and jasmine and something else that was just uniquely Buffy. Her hair all golden and longer now compared to the last time he saw her.

A twinge of pain suddenly hit his heart at the memory that she had it cut just to spite him. Thinking about it now, he realized even more just how much the damned chit hated him even back then. Getting her hair cut like that was just among the things she did but he ignored because he couldn't deal with the idea that she didn't or would never love him. He was such a huge wanker back then and now, seeing her again, he almost returned to that pathetic ponce he had been a year ago.

 _Well not anymore._ he said to himself . He wasn't gonna let her get him the way she had before. He wasn't gonna let her step on him or even bully him as she once did.

 _He was not that man anymore._

"Slayer," he called her attention from the two men who were still arguing with her .

When she turned to face him, he punched her face hard, snapping it like she did to him earlier and making her take a few steps back in the process.

"Buffy!" Angel cried, moving forward to attack his _pesky Grandchilde_. But he was blocked by one of his female hooded companions. "Get out of my way!" he told her.

"You don't want to get in between those two, Angel," she told him.

Angel stiffened at the voice. He would recognized it anywhere.

"Faith?" he asked.

"The one and only," she said, removing the hood from her head while grinning widely at the soulled vampire.

"Faith!" everyone, including Wesley of Angel's team, who had just joined the group outside, all chorused upon recognizing the rogue Slayer.

"Yeh, it's me guys!" she told them. "Wesley, how are you?" she asked her ex-Watcher, a guilty and concerned look crossing her face.

"I-I'm fine. T-thank you for asking," was the ex-Watcher's only response to the woman's sudden concern. He had never seen Faith give such a kind and genuine look before. He was both surprised and curious as to what had happened to the Slayer that had seemed to change her this much.

"Faith, get out of my way," Angel repeated.

"No can do, Angel. Those two need to get this out and you'll only get in their way," she told him.

But the big vampire was too stubborn to listen to the Slayer's advice and continued to make his way towards his Grandchilde. With great speed and strength, the dark haired Slayer tackled the taller vamp and pinned him to the ground, a stake hanging pointedly at the vampire's back.

"Told you to let them be. This ain't you're fight, Angel. In fact this ain't any of your fight," she told the rest of the onlookers. "This is something those two need to settle before we try and actually work with each other!"

As she said this the rest of her hooded companions along with the one, who had turned himself into a Turok Han, all gathered beside her and formed a line that blocked the Master Vampire and Slayer from their audience.

"Uh, Faith, this really shouldn't be how things should go-"

"Shut it, Whistler. You were suppose to tell them about us. But based on how surprised everyone was when they saw us, I'm guessing you never got to the part where you told them who we were."

"Ahh, maybe?" the agent said nervously.

"Thought as much. Well then you will let those two have it out. Because this thing here is necessary. Unless you want it to happen in the middle of the actual big battle. So better they hash it out now than then, cause it'll be a bigger problem if we waited," she told them, before eying her leader and sister Slayer ahead of her.

 **(O.O)**

Buffy was surprised.

Not only was he there but he had the actual nerve to actually punch her in front of her friends. She knew she should've expected it, what with how it ended the last they saw each other. But she, at the very least, expected him to show a bit of that undying love and devotion he once always aimed at her way . But she was not seeing that in him now. Looking at him, after recovering from his punch, she could see nothing that resembled the loving and adoring demon who used to follow her around town. He had changed in the year he had been away, and for some reason, she could not help feel her heart constrict at the thought that she had lost something so beautiful because of her self-destructive attitude the year before

"So you're back again. I thought you were gonna be gone for good this time," she told him. Though why she sounded angry about it, she wasn't really certain. She knew she should be happy that he was back, after all she had been wishing for such to happen for quite some time now. Yet seeing him again, standing in front of her the way he used to, it hand't brought joy into her heart.

 _Probably because you know he's not here for you, but for this new enemy you two were suppose to defeat together._

Defeat together.

She thought hard on those words and realized that Spike was actually part of the group that the Powers sent to help her.

She looked at him and then at his companions, who all were blocking her friends from approaching them.

 _Is that Faith?!_

She was surprised to see her sister Slayer among the people that Spike was working with. And somehow that didn't sit well in her opinion.

"Thought so too, but then my bosses want me to help a certain cranky Slayer defeat the next Big Bad that's threatening to end the world," was his smooth reply as he took one of his cigarettes and lit it, "So I really didn't have a choice in the matter."

"I'll bet. Must be pretty hard coming back here after being gone for so long, huh?" she said narrowing her eyes at him, "You didn't even bother to say goodbye to anyone of us."

"You can say that, but you need to set your facts straight, luv. I did say goodbye, but only to those who I knew would've missed me."

"You-you said goodbye to Dawn?" she asked surprised about this new information. When he nodded, she again felt her heart break on that answer.

She thought that Spike just left without a word to anyone. Heck, if she hadn't searched his entire crypt and found his clothes and books missing, she'd have thought that he had died that night. She had been so consumed by guilt because she thought she had killed him over something so trivial. She'd avoided answering anyone who asked about him and when she found out he left, she was then consumed by anger at the thought he left her in the first place. The only thing that truly comforted her of his leaving was that no one seemed to know he'd left until the day they went to his crypt to ask for his help about that ugly demon who had sent her into that dream world of her being in a mental institution and her parents being there with her. She simply relished the thought that this time she wasn't the only one who was abandoned but so was Dawn, who, after he left, seemed just as angry as her upon hearing the news of his leaving. The thought that he left and had actually said goodbye to someone-especially to Dawn, who she confided with about missing him, hurt her more than the thought that she was the reason he left in the first place. She felt betrayed again, not only by Dawn but also by him. Him telling someone that he was leaving and not her was by far the most evil thing he had ever done, in her opinion.

She was angry and she wanted to lash out at him, and she would've had he not said his next words.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Slayer, you know I did nothing wrong. So, I didn't say goodbye to you and only to the Bit, who, by the way, I told not to tell you that I was leaving, big deal! I had my reasons not to tell you and I thought it was for the best!"

"The best for who?" she screamed, running at him and aiming another punch at his nose, of which he blocked easily. "Me? You thought not telling me that you were leaving was for the best for me? You asshole!" She pulled back her hand and used the other to punch him. This time her punch hit its mark and for the second time that night the vampire's head snapped back by the power of the blow. "Who are you to decide that it was the best for me? What gave you the right to decide such a thing?"

"Who said I did it for you?" he said, looking back at her with anger in his eyes. With a blink of an eye, he too aimed a punch at the Slayer who again was forced to take a couple of steps back because of the strength of the punch. There were another batch of calls of the Slayer's name by her friends in the audience, but no one came to aid her so it meant that his companions were still blocking their way. "You're really that full yourself, aren't you? You think that just 'cause I didn't come to say goodbye to you, you'd immediately lunk me with all those wankers who left you under the pretense of it being for your own good? Well, boohoo for the arrogant little girl, because this time the reason wasn't about _you_?! Didn't it ever occur to you that I didn't say goodbye because I didn't want to? That I saw no point in telling you that I was leaving because seriously, what would be the point?! Knew you wouldn't have cared either way! I was simply sparing myself the heartache of having to hear you say: _good riddance, you useless piece of shit. Took you long enough to get it in your head that you ain't needed here!_ So stop looking like I hurt your bloody feelings, Slayer, because that ain't like you!" He finished his rant, and looked at the Slayer, who was now looking at the ground, shoulders hunched. If he didn't know any better, he'd have think that she looked defeated in her posture, which didn't make sense.

 _Why would she feel defeated when all I did was prove her wrong in her accusations of me? Did she hate that I had finally grown the balls to talk back at her and not let her use me like a rug on the floor? Yeah that must be it. She was simply saddened that I was now not the same vamp I once was. The vamp she loved to pick on and abuse then throw to the side like a used up toy._

"Stop that, Slayer. Not gonna say I'm sorry just cause you feel bad 'cause little Spikey ain't gonna let you play with him anymore. I ain't gonna get affected by the cry-me-a-river stunt you always pull or the woe-me-poor-me routine anymore. It gets old, you selfish bitch, and I've already built immunity from those things over the year I've been away from you. You ain-" He stopped after seeing the actual look of devastation painted on her face after finally looking up from the ground to face him. "Slay-"

"You're right _. I have been selfish bitch_ , and I guess, I should've expected that you'd have a deeper reason than my own self-centered explanations of your actions. I had no right to be angry or sad or anything, after what I did the last time we saw each other. You left for yourself and I shouldn't blame you for that either. I'm sorry, Spike. For everything I did to you last year, and for all the shit I've put you through. I said some really awful things to you at the time, and I'm sorry for that too. But most of all, I am sorry that you thought I wouldn't have missed you after you were gone, because truthfully? I did care about you, and I did care that you left without saying goodbye. But I guess it was normal for you to think that I didn't, considering-well, I never really showed you a reason to think that I did, didn't I? Well, I'm sorry for that too."

"Buffy?" he called softly, his heart aching at the sight of her tears.

When he agreed to come to Sunnydale and see her, he expected her to be angry at him, throw a punch or two his way and even some hurtful yelling and a handful of arguments about how they should work together. But not this. He didn't expect this. The Slayer saying sorry to him, crying and admitting her faults of last year and doing all of it in front of her friends and the Grand poof no less. This was so not what he signed up for when he agreed to come back.

 _What the hell happened to her?_

She was facing the crowd now and called out to Whistler.

"They're here to help defeat the First, right?"

"Uh-yeah. I mean, they showed you their strength and all," was the agent's bewildered reply.

"Yeah, they did. And Faith is with them, so now they also have a Slayer too."

 _Where was she going with all of this?_ He asked internally. _What the hell is going on in that pretty little head of yours, Slayer?_

"So that means I'm really not needed anymore," she whispered so softly that it seemed only those with enhanced hearing in the group could've heard her.

"Wha-!" He was alarmed at her words.

 _What the bloody hell did she mean by that? Why was she saying such words? Why did she look so broken? What they bloody hell happened to the Slayer while I was gone?_

He wanted to ask. He would've asked. But he was stopped at her sudden approach and her standing merely inches away from him.

"I'm so happy that you're back, Spike," she suddenly said with a sad smile, "At least now I know I can count on you to protect them."

"Slayer, wha-"

But again she cut him off, surprising him and everyone there watching them, by planting a soft kiss on his lips.

"I missed you and take care of them for me-" she said before suddenly turning away from him and running off into the dark night.

Spike stood, for a few minutes, frozen after the kiss and once he regained his senses the Slayer was already out of his sight. Anger immediately filled his heart and he directed it to the people he knew were responsible for the Slayer's strange behavior.

"What the hell did you all do?" he asked them, his eyes shifting between their normal oceanic blue hue to the animalistic amber ones of his demon.

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

And that is it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave a review because they inspire me to update faster. Thanks and hope to see you all in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Notes:**

 **Hello guys! Another update and in the span of one week! Go me! Anyway, Buffy is not gonna be in this chapter but don't worry she and Spike will almost fill up the next one! Hope that is alright with all of you! Thank you all for the kind support this fic has been having and I truly appreciate all the lovely reviews.. You guys are the best. So with out further delay, you may now go and read and enjoy the fic!**

 **And as always, special thanks to my beta** **djellibabe** **for helping me with this fic! Thank you!**

 **(O.O)**

Despite the fact that they had changed locations and entered the safety of the Slayer's home, his glare had still stayed intact as he watched the group in front of him. Most of them, especially the young potentials in the group, had all been too nervous around them, or more specifically around him and his companions. He, up until now was still in the form of the ancient vampire he changed into earlier, so they all were sent to bed early to make _his team_ more comfortable around the house. _Or so they said._

Of course, he knew the real reason why the kiddies were sent away.

They were not there because the grownups in the house all thought that his team could be a possible threat to them, and so to protect them, they sent them all to bed.

He didn't mind that everyone still saw him as trouble. He was already used to that, but what he hated was the fact that even though the group had already sent the kids away and all that were left were the main Scoobies. The group composed of Giles, Xander, Willow, Anyanka and Dawn, and Angel and his team, which he saw composed of two persons only; a man, whom he believed was the Slayer's ex-Watcher, and a redheaded girl with Texan accent, they were all still wary and unbelieving of his claims that he was sent there to help them.

They had a reason to be wary, of course. Earlier apparently, Whistler hadn't gotten to the part where he was supposed to tell them who they all were and the complete reasons for what they were doing there. So the group were obviously unprepared for their presence , and the fact that he was leading the new team made things even more complicated for them. And to make matters worse, the smelly little weasel didn't even stay to finish his explanation of their presence, and instead he claimed that he was being called back by the Powers and left without so much as a goodbye or good luck!

And so he was left to stew in his anger as the group discussed what to do with him and his team. He hated it even more because of what he was hearing from the group. Their topic about how dangerous he was to stay with them only served to fuel his anger and impatience.

 _Why the hell do they have to discuss this? In front of him, the subject of their discussion, no less! He was there to help them! Shouldn't that have been enough to convince their lot that he and his team deserved to stay in that house?_

His glare intensified as he listened to Angel's voice putting the loudest objection in the room. He was the self-righteous wanker who kept saying that it was a bad idea to keep his team there with them, especially without Buffy around. He kept saying that even if the Powers were the ones who sent them, it didn't mean that they weren't dangerous.

He growled and glowered at what bastard was insinuating.

 _Of course, they were dangerous! One of them had turned himself into a Turok Han, hadn't he? And that was just a fraction of what his team could do. But more importantly, just because they were dangerous, it didn't mean they would hurt any of them. They were sent here to help them, weren't they? So it'll be counter productive for them to hurt the ones they were sent to protect!_

But it seemed that the poof was holding firmly to his belief. The asshole keep telling them of his previous evil deeds and even had the nerve to point out that he was soulless unlike his poofiness.

A vein pulsed in his head as he listened to everyone of the main Scoobies, namely Xander, Willow and Giles, start saying the same things about him and were all then wondering if it really was a good idea to let him and his team help them.

 _Fucking ungrateful, twats!_

They still thought that, even after all those times he had helped them in the past, he was only doing good for selfish reasons?

 _Alright, yes, I did only do good for selfish reasons. But that's only because the only things that I ever really cared about the world were Dawn and Buffy, and also Passions, Man U, buffalo wings and all the other great stuff I like. But so what? I was still doing good, right? So why would they think it was a bad thing for me to only do good for such reasons? Why would they want me to do good for fucked up reasons like Angel's? They want me to do good because I was repenting for my past sins? They really think it'd be more noble to have those kinds of reasons? Fuck that! What good was doing good for those things? I did them in the past and I couldn't change them, even if I wanted to. So why dedicate my actions to the things I did back then when what really matters to me is in the present? Just because I didn't have the same reasons as they do for doing good, that doesn't really make me evil! Who are they to judge me for what I do anyway?!_

He was about to yell at them for what they had been saying about him but Faith beat him to it.

"Hey, Dickgel! Stop whining and saying how evil Spike has been in the past because seriously, dude, you ain't one to talk!" she called out to the magnificent forehead, "Yeah, Spike is soulless and yes, he was once evil and killed a lot of people! But that was back then! He doesn't do that now! You don't have a right to say he shouldn't be here because of what he did in the past because if that is so then you, too, shouldn't be here asshole!"

Spike didn't hide the smile that graced his lips at the sight of Angel doing his best imitation of a gold fish. He was happy that someone actually spoke against the wanker, but even more happy that they had spoke against him for his sake. This was among the things he liked about his team; they may insult each other, fight a lot with one another, but when someone else tried to pick on one of them, all of them would do their best to defend their own.

 _Real comrades and friends._

This was what he earned over the year he had been away and since he began this dark Champion gig the Powers had him do. He was doing something he liked; fighting strong enemies and making sure the world he liked stayed safe, and he was getting a lot of things in return, not just good company, but also special items and goods that they had looted from their enemies.

Yes, that's right, looted! They looted their enemies for what they're worth.

They weren't like Buffy and Angel or any of the other typical hero types, they didn't care that the items they get from their enemies could've belonged to someone else and had died protecting those said items or treasures. They weren't concerned either about how amoral they would be for taking stuff from their dead opponents. They weren't getting paid for this job, so how else were they gonna get funds for their needs other than to take what they can from the demons and humans they defeat or kill. It didn't sound right, but who cares? They still saved the world and they will continue to do so with the things they looted from the bad guys.

This is what set them apart from Buffy and Angel. They didn't let themselves get caught in the mundane rules and regulations of being good. They didn't let the views of society affect them from doing what they knew was right. And they didn't let the ideals of white hats that say _humans equal good, demons equal bad_ to hinder them from doing what has to be done.

A spoiled brat wants to destroy an entire town because he wants to build his theme park in that area? They gave that kid a good beating. A monk sacrificing women to raise a dead deity? They killed the guy and the deity, but not after beating him to a bloody pulp. A rich man using his fortune to start the next world war? They also beat him up, killed his demonic minions, and destroyed most of his high tech resources, and took the rest of it for themselves.

The things they did weren't all good, but they knew that what they did were the right things to do in those situations, so they never regretted doing any of them. And it was because of this way of thinking that the Powers gave them this job in the first place. They gave them this job because they knew how to do the right thing with whatever means necessary and when the situation dictates it.

And right now the situation very much dictates it.

"Oh, shut up, the lot of you!" Spike told the arguing group, who had also began to question Faith's right to be there with them. "I can't believe that in your dire situations you are actually questioning our intentions instead of simply just accepting our help! You bloody idiots are letting your stupid bygotry and self-righteousness stop you from seeing the bigger picture here, people! Especially you, Peaches!" He pointed at the soulled vampire. "Soulled Vampire, Champion of the People, the Power's Chosen One! Bloody hell! You got all that title in your belt and your putting a sissy fit on me being called the Power's Dark Champion? You should be ashamed of yourself! I ain't here to steal anything from you, you wanker! I'm here to help! So stop convincing this lot how dangerous I am because you're no different, idiot! At least as a soulless evil thing I didn't run around town heartlessly killing innocent little teenage girls because they all looked like the Slayer, I was obsessed with! Nor did I make a seer crazy by killing her entire family, raping her and turning her while lying on the bodies of the dead nuns she was going to serve God with on the day she was to take her holy vows! I'm not like you, you bloody poof! I'm nothing like you! You, yourself, said it enough in the past about how lacking I was in the evil department. How human I was to be a demon! You tortured me enough times to get in my thick skull how I wasn't as evil as you were and now you're telling everyone here how dangerous I am because I'm soulless and evil and incapable of doing good? God, you are such a hypocrite!"

Then he turned to the Scoobies. "And you lot! You agree with this bastard after everything I've done with you, for you, in the past?! Bloody hell, I fought for your cause! I protected and saved all your ungrateful arses a time or two, and I did it all while Buffy was fucking dead! I had no reason to stay but I did, for the Bit, for you! Because I knew the Slayer wouldn't want her friends joining her so soon in the bloody afterlife! But do I get a thank you, Spike? No! I get fucking snarked at, insulted, belittled and distrusted because I was a bloody fucking vampire! A vampire that you all turn to when you need the bloody extra muscles! You didn't even tell me about your plan to resurrect the Slayer because of your petty thinking that I'd start my obsession over her again! Well, you were wrong! Had I known I would've stopped you idiots from doing the spell in the first place! I knew the Slayer would be in heaven, I mean, where else would she be? She couldn't have been in a hell dimension because she was too good to be there. And if she was I would've told you to check first, and then tell you to simply take her soul out of that place and send it to heaven! I wouldn't have asked you to bring her back! No matter how much I wanted to, I wouldn't want her to actually come back because I knew Buffy..." His voice croaked a bit as he said the next words. "I knew she wouldn't want to return to all of this. She was done, finished, and you lot put it all on her shoulders again. Had you simply told me, I would've told you all this."

Then his anger returned as he thought of the naivety and arrogance of the humans in front of him, making him raise his voice yet again. "But no! You didn't trust me! You still don't, and I understand, I do. I did cause you lot a lot of trouble back in the days, but don't you think that I deserve just a bit of your bloody trust after everything we've been through? Had you given me that bit of trust back then, then maybe all this-" he gestured all around the room. "-wouldn't have bloody happened; the First showing up, those Potentials dying, and Buffy-" He stopped as if realizing just realizing the real point of his outburst. "-the Slayer not being here not being here with us... None of it would've happened. And speaking of the Slayer, I don't know what you lot did to her but I know that it was so bad to make her look that broken. But instead of worrying about her, you idiots are more worried about our presence in the her home. You are all one fucked up group of humans and the Slayer was right to abandon you lot!"

Everyone in the room was silent. How were they going to go on after all that? The was so much truth in the vampire's words and none of them had the courage or the strength to argue with him any more. They were all ashamed of what they did. Moments earlier they had thrown out their leader from her own home and instead of looking for her, they were all busy deciding whether they should throw out the team that some higher power sent to aid them. Spike was right, they weren't looking at the bigger picture. They were letting their bygotry get the best of them and now here they were wasting time talking instead of doing the important things, like finding Buffy.

"You are right, Spike," Giles spoke up suddenly, surprising everyone with his words. He was the first to recover from the vampire's outburst. "We have been horrible people. We have been so focused on the past that we have not been thinking on the important thing to do in the present. We have hurt our Slayer but instead of trying to make up for our misdemeanor, we followed that up by distrusting the people who the Powers have sent to help us and almost immediately throw them out before they could even do any good. I am terribly, terribly sorry for how things are turning out. I-" he paused before changing his words. "-I mean, we wish to start over, we shall be less judgemental and more accepting to you and your companions, who perhaps you could properly introduce to us. After all it seemed that they are quite strong and we would appreciate a name to call them," he said the last part eying the rest of his still hooded companions and the ubervamp behind him.

All his anger disappeared at that and a smirk graced his lips. He always liked it when the Watcher acted civil even though he knew him enough to know that the man wasn't really sorry for his actions against him, nor was he over the part about distrusting him and his companions. But he didn't blame the man for the last part. Above everyone else in that team, the Watcher was the one he knew who would show him most distrust but he would be okay with it because he liked that the man had a healthy level of caution in him and knew that it was important to have that when you fight demons. He admired him for it because he knew that when push comes to shove, Giles will always make the right decision and do what has to be done no matter the consequences.

 _Heh, Watcher's like my team in a way too. Maybe I should've gone and recruited him too._ He thought amusedly.

"You want to know who we all are, eh, Watcher? Probably to assess even further just how dangerous we all are?" When Giles looked like he was about to deny the accusations, he shut him up. "No need to lie, Rupert. I know you and I know that your actions are just your way of showing you really care about your charges and would seek to protect them by knowing the dangers we, the strangers in your group, could bring to you. And I always respect that of you... Alright, we'll introduce ourselves. Fair warning though, if seeing me and Faith again was a shocker, the rest of these guys might just blow your brains out."

He gestured at his companions and one by one they revealed their hidden faces. Everyone of the Scoobies let out a surprised gasp at the sight of people beneath the hoods.

"Hello, Rupert," Ethan Rayne said with an amused smile on his lips. He was loving the expression of his former associate at the moment.

"E-E-E-Ethan Rayne!" Giles sputtered as he pointed and stared at the other British man.

"Well, not the sort of reaction I thought I'd be seeing you make. But-" he wasn't able to finish though, because the old Watcher was already on him.

Holding him by the lapels of the coat visible underneath the robe he was wearing, he pulled Ethan away from the group and began shaking him.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" he asked the man.

"Good to see you too, old friend. Mind letting a fella go and let his friends explain his presence to you."

Giles merely glared at him but did not release the man and instead he addressed Spike.

"What is the meaning of this, Spike? Why is Ethan part of your team?"

"He's our mage, and a right good one I may add. He's strong and skilled and he was wasting away at some government prison because Captain Cupboard had no idea what to do with him when you lot had him arrested. I simply him offered him a deal to either continue to rot in that place or come with me? Obviously he took the latter of the two," Spike answered, while he took out his pack from his pockets. He was not gonna be explaining why he choose to pick the members of his team without a cigarette in his mouth. At least the nicotine would help ease his steadily growing irritation of the group again. "And let him go, Giles. He's good now, or at least what constitutes as a good human these days, but he's good nonetheless. He helps me fight the bad guys and if that's not enough, then just remember what you all saw earlier. He's strong, strong enough to kill one of those ancient vampires with just a flick of his wrist. You would want him on your side so let the stupid man go."

Giles tightened his grip on the man's clothes. He was hesitating but he knew that the vampire was right. He saw what Ethan did and he knew his skills would indeed be useful in their upcoming battles with the First. So with great reluctance, he let the man go by shoving him away from him.

Ethan straightened his clothes and finished removing the robe he was wearing, but not before addressing his vampire companion and the obviously displeased Watcher.

"The _stupid_ comment was highly unnecessary, vampire," the mage stated irritably, before facing the Watcher. "And if it would make you feel better, Rupert, I promise not to cause any particular problems with you and yours so as long as you do not cause problems with me and mine." There was a strange glint in the man's eyes that Giles didn't recognize as he said those words.

 _Was he threatening him not to pick a fight with his companions?_

The Watcher was confused. He had never seen Ethan give him that look before or even act the way he was acting. Ethan was actually being protective over someone. It was a preposterous idea, and Giles would have dismissed it had he not seen the look on the other man's face.

While Giles was having this internal dilemma, another one of the Scoobies was busy looking surprised at the identity of one of the strangers.

"Amy?" Willow asked approaching the brunette that revealed herself to be the witch, who had casted that petrifying spell on those Bringers.

"Hey, Willow, long time no see! I can see you have also gotten over your magic addiction. I did so too! But more because I nearly got killed because of it! But that's okay! Now I know how to properly use magic without being reckless about it. Pretty cool, huh? Spike and Mr. Rayne taught me! Anyway, how are you? Sorry about your girlfriend by the way and glad to know you didn't really end the world! That was a real bummer, but I can understand-" she brunette chattered, while the redhead simply looked at the woman in front of her.

It really was Amy! But she looked so changed, and not just in a physical sense, which by the way she approved very much because now she looked very mature but not just because of the way she dressed, that reminded her so much of Tara, but also in how she carried herself. There was an air of confidence in the other woman that hadn't been there before. No, not the confidence that she coupled with arrogance like she had in the past, this the kind of confidence gained with maturity and experience. She reminded Willow of one of the veteran witches in the coven back in England.

"Amy, wow? You-you look amazing!" she told her with a blush.

"Thank you!" was the woman's reply as she beamed at the red haired witch.

"You two know each other?" Kennedy, who was the only potential that hand't gone to bed with the others, suddenly asked, looking quite annoyed at the mysterious woman, who had gained the attention of her witchy girlfriend.

"Kennedy, this is Amy. She used to be my rat! I mean, she was human and turned into a rat that I put in a cage but-oh, that doesn't sound right!" Willow babbled nervously.

"It's alright," Amy said softly, covering for the red head's embarrassment. "You were techinically right about everything you just said about me. I did turn myself into a rat and practically stayed in your cage for approximately three years. But aside from that, I'm simply Willow's high school friend, Amy. Pleased to meet you!" she said, offering her hand to the Potential who simply scoffed at her innocent gesture.

"Names Kennedy and I'm Willow's girlfriend. You better remember that!" the young potential said while slapping Amy's hand away, which made Willow sputter indignantly at her girlfriend's rude behavior.

"I will, and it is a pleasure to meet you Kennedy," Amy replied coolly.

Xander was silent in all of the exchange. He was busy studying the third and final woman in the group. He knew he had seen her somewhere. But he could not pin point exactly where. It was only when the young woman came up to all of them and enthusiastically introduced herself that he remembered where he had seen her.

"You're Warren's sex bot!" he suddenly exclaimed, making everyone turn to look at him.

"Rude," was April's reply. "I am April, an Artificial Intelligence and Multipurpose Perfect Girlfriend, also known as AIMPG. I was not created simply for sex, as most of you all think, but to be every man's ideal and perfect partner and companion."

"I can't believe this! You revived the other sex bot?!" he told Spike, ignoring April's introduction while laughing at the hilarity of the situation he was seeing, "So you're over your Buffy obsession but couldn't find anyone to shake your rocks off so you took out the other sex bot, fixed her up and added her to your team? God! For a moment there I thought you had changed, Spike, but it looks like you're still the same pathetic loser of a vamp-ow, ow, ow, ow!" he screamed as April twisted his arm behind his back with one hand.

"Now you are not only rude to me but also to my friend, Spike. You should be punished for your arrogance and bullying, human," April said, twisting Xander's hand further behind him causing the boy to scream in pain.

"Stop that! You are hurting him!" Willow begged.

"Spike, call off your sex bot!" Giles commanded.

"She ain't anyone's sex bot, Rupert, and I ain't doing anything until the boy apologizes to April. He insulted her. Now, I may not mind getting insults from the whelp, I am used to those thing by now, but April is different. She doesn't like being called a sex bot or any types of names relating to her past and what that wanker Warren made her to be. The boy hurt her feelings, so he has to apologize to her unless he wants to lose that arm of his," was the vampire's reply as he blew smoke in the air and watched the scene unfold before him.

"But that is a machine! _It_ doesn't have feelings! _It_ shouldn't be offended when someone tells the truth about _it_!" Giles argues.

"And that's where you're wrong, Watcher. _She does have feelings_ and _she has a sentient mind_. And because of that _a Power told me to save her by fixing her up and recruiting her to be a part of my team_. The boy hurt those feelings and now he'll be losing that arm of his if he doesn't say he's sorry."

"Ow, ow, ow! Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I didn't mean what I said about Spike! Please let go already!"

"Spike is not the only one you offended here!" She tightened her hold on his hand nearly crushing them by the strength of her hold. "You offended me too. So you better apologize to me too, mister."

"Oow!" Xander was already too far gone in the in pained department to apologize to the offended robot, but luckily for him, his ex-fiance saved him.

"April, please unhand Xander. He is very stupid sometimes and lets his mouth run without thought. He thought you were a simply machine so he didn't know he would offend you with his words."

She stared at the woman, who she immediately recognized was her very close friend, Anya. "Very well. But only since you asked nicely, Anyanka." She then released her hold on the young man, letting him fall on his knees, before turning to face the ex-vengence demon. "You look different. Last we had seen you, you were trying to get a young woman to make a wish against her abusive boyfriend."

"Yes, that is because I am human again. I lost my powers again and this time I am not getting them back."

"I am confused. Do you wish me to comfort you for your loss or not? You do not seem like someone who is upset because they lost something."

"I am not upset that I lost my powers, I lost them because I made a choice to stop the vengeance gig. But if you really want to, you can still hug me and comfort me for it. I would still appreciate it."

As soon as the ex-demon said those words, April immediately gave her a big hug.

"I feel for you, Anyanka," the bot told her.

A smile graced the ex-demon's lips as she hugged the bot back. "Thank you, April. You are very kind."

"Ahn, why are you acting real close to that sex-er I mean, robot?" Xander suddenly asked.

"Oh! April here has been a good friend to me when I first became a vengeance demon again. I met her when she and her boyfriend-"

" _Ex-boyfriend_ ," April clarified, "Raul and I are no longer together. He proved to be a very unfaithful boyfriend so I broke up with him."

"Oh! Why did you not call for me? I would've given you a free wish against him!"

"I didn't call because I saw to it that when I broke up with him, I ended it by also breaking his arm and nose!" the perky robotic brunette told the ex-demon.

"That's great! I love your method!"

Xander simply listened to the two and watched both in horror and fascination as he saw just how similar his ex was to the sex bot.

"So he's boyfriend number what now?"

"Twenty-one! And I really have a good feeling about this one! I really think he is the one! He's kind, gentle and very attentive and when I told him I had to leave for this job, he agreed with no complaint and wished me luck! He's very supportive, which I read is a good trait for a boyfriend! I think once we are done with this job, I will ask him to marry me and make him my permanent boyfriend!"

"Ooh, he sounds so wonderful! I am so happy for you, April! Hope you invite me to your wedding! I'm sure I can be a great maid of honor!"

"Yes, you will be invited and I so will make you my maid of honor!"

"Thank you!"

"Ugh, not to sound rude or anything but does this guy even know you're not human? Because in my experience robots marrying humans never turn out good for the humans. They, the robots, I mean, tend to forget that humans are beings who wouldn't appreciate being forced into anything that they had no idea of. You marrying the guy without telling him about who-I mean, what you are isn't very consensual."

The glare he received from both women forced him to step back.

"You truly are a very mean and rude person!" April snapped at him, "Of course, Raul knows about me, it is the first thing I tell all my boyfriends when we first get together. Most of them tend to leave when they find out about it, but many stayed, and not just because of what I was made for, but because of who I truly am. Spike already said to all of you that I am a sentient being, and that means that my mind goes beyond my programming or better yet I am very human inside despite the mechanical parts that compose me. I may not have a real heart but I do feel pain, happiness, sorrow and love. So I understand more than anyone, especially than someone like you, what is means to be wed to a human." Her angry expression then turned into a sadistic grin as she said the next words to the one-eyed young man in front of her. "And you know what? I am very happy that you and Anyanka did not get married, because I can see now that she would not have been happy spending the rest of her human existence with someone like you. You would not have appreciated or taken care of her properly and you would have probably most likely abused her when time came that she would have displeased you. She would have been very unhappy had you two continued with your nuptials! _You are a brute and you do not deserve Anyanka's lov_ e!"

Her words sent Xander in the fit of rage.

 _How dare this-this thing say he didn't deserve Anya? It didn't even know him and what right did it have to judge him? It was a machine! It didn't have anything real inside it-no matter what it, Spike and some higher being said! It had no right to say those hurtful words!_

Either it was the stress he had been constantly in or the drugs in his system, Xander didn't know, but he couldn't help but snap again at the bot for her insolence.

Walking closer to her and standing up straighter to let her see his full height, he angrily started his insults, "Now, listen here, you annoying walking toaster, I may be a lot of things but one thing I do know is that I didn't abuse Anya. I took very good care of her when she and I were together. And she was very happy with me! You don't know what you're talking about because seriously? You're a fucking machine! No matter what anyone says, there is nothing real in you! Everything that makes you look human are fake! So you have no right to tell me anything or judge me because you mean nothing, you hear me sex bot?! That's why you better shut that mechanic mouth of yours or el-" but he wasn't able to finish his words, because he was suddenly hoisted off the ground by scruff of his shirt by the bot's very tall ubervamp companion.

"Graaaah!" It roared at him. Xander began to squirm at the beast's hold on his clothing and was almost about to free himself when the best roared again and grabbed hold of his neck choking him.

"Xander!" Willow cried again for her friend.

"Put him down, you beast!" Giles ordered, in his hand was a crossbow aimed at the ancient vampire's head.

The rest of the house's original occupants all armed themselves and pointed their weapons at the monster, who they had all forgotten was actually a man before.

"Spike, call off your monster!" This time it was Angel, who commanded the vampire.

But Spike merely crossed his arms to himself and glared at the group.

"Why? The whelp obviously deserved whatever the boy wants to do to him. He has continuously insulted April, my teammate, and even threatened her for speaking the truth that you lot all seemed to want to avoid. April was right about everything she told him. Harris is a mean, rude bully, who thinks that just cause we ain't humans we don't have bloody feelings like he does. That we don't feel hurt and pain. Well, newsflash people, we do! We aren't just machines, ex-cons and monsters, we all are so much more than that, you ruddy bastards and because of that we were chosen to be heroes of our own stories. Who is he to say those words to April? Who is he to tell her that robots and humans can't bloody be together because the robot wouldn't understand the human needs? What does he know about those needs when he couldn't even cater to the need of the woman he fucking supposedly loves! He left her at the damn altar for crying out loud! That should've say a lot about the bastard. And when they were together he always shut her up because she embarrasses him? Why would she embarrass him for speaking the truth about certain things? Why would he try to control her like that when the real beauty of Anyanka is her ability to speak the unadulterated truth? She's a very honest and an amazing woman, but what does he do? He leaves her! Breaks her heart and forces her to become the demon she was lucky to have been able to get out of! So how is that taking care of her? How is that something that deserves my help? Or the boy's mercy? Harris is a worthless piece of shit! As almost everyone else in this goddamn house! So don't tell me to stop my monster, Peaches, because clearly you're lot have been letting _your monsters_ out ever since we got here! Of course, considering whatever you lot did to your Slayer, I'd say that you've been doing it even before we all got here!"

"Please, Spike," a teary eyed Anya begged the vampire, "I understand where you are going with all this. I do. And yes, Xander deserves to be pounded for his stupidity and as do many of us for throwing Buffy out. But, please don't hurt him or kill him for that matter because of it! He's just had his eye plucked out of his sockets and is on heavy medication, he doesn't know what he's saying!"

"Even if he is that, Anyanka. Still doesn't give him an excuse to insult my friend." He eyed the young man, who looked almost close to passing out in the ubervamp's hand.

"And like I said he's stupid, so he shouldn't be condemned for that? Please Spike, Xander and I may not be together but I do still care about him and it will really hurt me if anything else were to happen to him!"

Spike stared intently at the begging woman in front of him and, even though he thought she was being an idiot for showing Harris mercy, he understood what she was going through. She loved the bastard despite all the hurt he had caused her, and continued to love him still. She may not be with him anymore but she cared enough about him to cry and wish that he didn't get hurt for his actions. And he understood that very well.

 _Hell, I'm still angry at Buffy for what she did to me and I know that she would never love me but seeing her broken and devastated look earlier made me still want to run after her and comfort the damned bint._

The only thing that had stopped him was his extreme focus on the mission and knowledge that the woman wouldn't want him to be the one who came running after her because she had Peaches there for that job.

 _She wouldn't want me. She'd never want me. But that never stopped me from caring for her and wanting her back here with them._

Which was why he had been impatient since earlier and had been trying since they came inside the house to get the idiots to clear their shit faster so that they would then focus on getting their Slayer back, because he knew she would actually listen to them and would come back if they asked her to.

 _But then again if that was so, then why did she kiss me and say those words to me earlier? Why did she gave me such a longing look if I truly hadn't meant anything to her? Was what she said even real?_

He was still confused about that part. But he didn't want to dwell on it at the moment. He had more important things to worry about than the Slayer's strange actions earlier.

He looked down at the young woman still crying in front of him, before signalling his vampire-turned companion to release his hold on the whelp. The boy fell with a loud thud, coughing and trying to catch his breath.

"Xander!" Anya said in relief as she ran to the coughing man.

Spike observed the expression on the ex-demon's face, and was somewhat glad to see the smile on it, even if it was the whelp who had caused the look on her. His attention was so focused on the couple that he failed to notice the tall vampire behind him until he was yanked from where he stood and was shoved painfully at one of the walls of the house.

"Spike!" his female companions cried out. Anger overtook their hearts at the sight of the stake the older vampire was pointing at their leader's heart.

"Angel, you better let him go or I swear I will-"

"What Faith? You swear you'll what? _Are you even hearing yourself?_ " the vampire addressed their brunette Slayer. "This is Spike for heaven's sake! A soulless vampire and you are a Slayer, yet your are threatening me for aiming a stake at his stupid heart? What the hell?! He's _evil_ , Faith! For Pete's sake, he tried to have Xander killed! And you are threatening me? He's the real enemy here, Faith, and I don't know about any of you; his so called teammates, but I do know that he's somehow making you care for him. So whatever he did to get you to think he's not evil will end now with his ass dusted!"

With speed the stake was lifted and aimed directly at Spike's heart, his companions could do nothing but scream as their leader was about to meet his end. But before the stake hit its mark Angel was suddenly sent flying all the way to the other side of the room.

"Goddammit! I leave you idiots for one moment and you're already trying to kill off your new champions?!" Whistler yelled by the door.

"Whistler, what the hell?" Angel said, staggering to stand up.

"I should be saying that to you, Angel! I told you all specifically earlier not to stake or harm these people because thy could be your only salvation here but you idiots do the exact opposite! You not only keep doubting the people the Powers sent you but you're all insulting them and trying to stake them! Dammit! I'm beginning to think that you idiots don't want to be saved!" He then eyed Spike and asked if he was alright,

The vampire merely nodded before showing to the Power's agent the stake he held in his hand.

"Were you a second later, _I'd have dusted the git myself._ "

The agent smiled at the vampire's calm and cool behavior, before turning to face the two idiots in the room.

"God, I can't believe you people, especially the two of you." He glared at Xander and Angel "I already said that these guys came here to help, and you all even saw how strong they are, _so you all should know just how big of a help they can be for you._ Yet you keep trying to antagonize them! I'd have understood the Watcher doing that, he's been trained not to trust demons and non-humans! But what are your excuses? Especially yours Angel? I don't know what's your problem but if you don't sort your shit now, then you best leave this town and the job of saving the world to those who actually know how to do it!"

The agent was panting. He was never the type to get into fights or verbal arguments. He was actually a pretty levelheaded guy. But after coming back from seeing what the Powers wanted of him only to see Angel about to stake Spike? He just lost it.

He should've known that he had made a mistake in choosing Angel to be Buffy's Champion the moment she got killed by the Master. But he kept a firm faith that the guy would change in the years to come, that he'd learn from his mistakes. But then Angelus came and Alcathla and he knew that the bastard had no place by the Slayer's side. The only reason they brought him back was that one Power thought that Angelus could still be redeemed because she felt pity for the innocent soul of the gypsy he killed which was shoved inside the vampire. So he was brought back and was given a new destiny once he finally left the Slayer, and they had been right about him being redeemable. He did work hard to change and be a better Champion. He saved a lot of people in the process too. His only flaw was that he never really let the Slayer go. He still kept a tight leash on her heart thus making it hard for them to find the perfect candidate to be her real Champion.

Of course, luckily for them, William came in to the picture.

They had started noticing the blond vampire when he first formed an alliance with their Slayer. He had kept his word to her. He helped her in her fight with Angelus and had left Sunnydale for good. They saw great potential in William to do good after that, but didn't dwell much on him because he was still connected to Drusilla. But when the seer foretold a future they had not anticipated about William loving the Slayer, they knew they had found the right candidate for the job.

It had only been a matter of creativity on their part in how to get William on the path towards the Slayer. A little suggestion here and there to get him back to Sunnydale, putting him in a situation that got him captured and chipped by the Initiative, and finally making him dream of his affection for the Slayer. They didn't do much, really, because William simply reacted to everything they did perfectly as planned to get him to the path he was taking now.

But when he was about to give up on his love for her because of the Slayer's abuse towards him, they knew they had to act. So they gave him this new path that he was supposed to temporarily take. They gave him a mission and something to do with his already changed unlife, and he did not disappoint them, unlike their other vampire champion. He succeeded beyond their expectations and became an even better Champion. But again he was straying too far from their original destiny for him, to be the Slayer's Champion. So once again they placed him on the path towards the Slayer and they gave him a mission to help her. But their plan was in the process of being foiled because of Angelus again.

"This is a big fight, Angel. _One of the biggest there is._ And the Big Guys really don't want you messing around with it. So you either let Spike take charge and do his thing or you leave Sunnydale and go back to those Lawyers you made that fucking deal with." The glint in his eyes as he said the last part made the soulled vampire nervous.

 _Did he know about what he did? Did the Powers know of his deal about Connor with Wolfram and Hart?_

He wasn't certain and he hoped that it wasn't so. He took that deal to protect his son and he knew how selfish it was and that not everyone would understand him for doing so. So he made sure that part of that deal was that the law firm would make sure no one remembered what happened and would not find out why he made that deal in the first place. Seeing Whistler give him that look, made him scared that the Powers knew about the truth of what he did and might no longer see him as their Champion. Which was why he was so angry to hear that Spike was also their Champion, because why the hell would they need another one when he was already there, unless they made one to replace him!

"We're not leaving. Buffy called us here to help and we are staying to do just that," Angel said as he glared at the agent.

"Really? I thought it was little red over there who called for help and _not the Slayer_. And from what I know she merely _called the ex-Watcher over there to come to Sunnydale and not you and your entire team,"_ the half demon pointed out. "But most importantly, if you really came to help the Slayer, then why the hell did you let her leave and fucking replace her in her position as the leader of her own team?!"

"First, it wasn't my fault she left! It was her sister who gave her the ultimatum of leaving or not! And second, it wasn't my decision to replace Buffy as the leader because it was a decision that everyone here made!"

"You stupid pompous gits!" Spike exploded. "All of you! So that's why the Slayer looked so defeated! You all turned your backs on her and went against her?! You? Her friends? For seven years that woman continuously sacrificed herself for all of you and you all had the audacity to return the favor by replacing her with the poof? Shame on you!" Then he turned to Angel. "And you, my great _Sire_ , _she loved you_ , sought out a normal life because _that's what you wanted for her_ , and _compared_ every bloke she every had a relationship with _to you_! None of us stood a chance with that woman because she always only saw you! But when she needed you most, what do you do? You stab her in the bloody back by taking away her post as their leader, _making her feel incompetent and useless,_ instead of _defending her from her fucking ungrateful friends!_ You claim you love her but you never really do anything to make her happy! You said she needed a normal life? But how the hell was she supposed to do that when she was the Slayer, you wanker? _She was never gonna be normal!_ You left her because you thought it was for her own good? How was it good when you always came back to _make sure she never really moved on from you_?! _She was miserable_! Always has been. Because she knew no normal man could do it for her, because _they never could understand the Slayer part of her or even fully satisfy her needs as a woman_! Humans were all breakable and she knew that, and that's why she always had to hold back when she had sex with them. She was never happy with normal, but she forced herself to be contented with blokes like Parker and Riley, because it was _what you thought she needed._ But what she really needed was _a monster in her man_ , only she never had that because you put it in her head that monsters can't love thus they didn't deserve to be loved! Well bollocks to that! You know that _vampires can love_! Hell, you used that information far too many times on Dru and I to torture either one of us. It was Angelus who couldn't love, but you didn't want Buffy to know that because it placed you in a bad spot, so you made this fucking lie about vampires being incapable of loving anyone." He was so close to tears as the memories of last year hit him. "She hated herself for finding solace in the arms of a monster. She thought she'd came back wrong for doing so. And for a while the, I thought so too. But I know better now. The year apart from her, I finally realized what was really tearing her apart wasn't her finding peace in a demon but the fact that the said demon could love her but the one she really wanted couldn't. She kept rejecting my feelings because Angelus rejected her while he was soulless." He closed his eyes to blink back the tears. It would do him no good to cry in front of the wanker. Then he looked up and glared again at Angel. "And now you do this to her, turning on her while you had your soul? How is this any different from what Angelus did? _You give her hope by coming here to help out but then tear up her spirit by making her feel like shit for not being a good leader_! Dammit, Angel! _That woman has enough insecurities to last a lifetime_! And you just added to that pile!" Then with a low voice he said the last part of his speech. "You all saw the look on her face. _She was so broken, so defeated. She was in so much pain_. Never have I seen the Slayer give that look in public but she just did and no one, n _ot one of you called out on it!_ You simply let her walk away!"

Silence once again overtook the room, and more would've taken place had the front door of the house not opened and two people entered the house.

"Woah, who are the hell are these people, and why the hell are you all so calm about a fucking ubervamp inside the house?!" a tall African-American man exclaimed as he and his companion stopped by the entrance of the Summers residence.

"Gunn, Andrew, you're back," Angel told the two men.

"Yeah, we are, and it looks like we missed a lot of things while we were gone. Mind filling us in with that, man?" He gave a wary eye at the ubervamp in the room.

The said ancient vampire suddenly screamed, alerting everyone and making them all prepare for a possible attack. But they didn't have to for as the vampire started convulsing the group noticed that it was slowly growing smaller and smaller and its shape became more and more human until it finally returned to the figure of the man who changed in to the vamp earlier.

The said man started to stagger but was caught by Faith, who was holding her robe to cover his very naked form in the process.

"Boy, I am never turning into one of those things again..." the man said, placing a hand over his stomach. "Those guys experience hunger for blood more than any demon or vampire I ever had to the pleasure to change into."

"Jonathan!" the boy by the door, Andrew, called out in recognition.

"Hey, Andrew, it's been a while," Jonathan gave his old friend a tired but wary smile.

"I can't believe it! Wow! Were you really that ubervamp just then?!" the boy asked excitedly.

"Yeah. It's a new magic spell I learned over the past several months. It's called Takeover spell, it lets me take the form of any demon or beast I touch. Pretty neat, huh? I haven't perfected it yet, since I can never turn in to a monster and return to human whenever I like, so I have to rely on how long my magic can last until it wears out. Hence the turning back just now," the tired little wizard said.

"That is so cool! And hey, is that Spike? Like Buffy's Spike?" Andrew again asked, this time he was pointing at the new vampire in the room. "What is he doing here? Better yet what are all of you doing here? And also, where is Buffy because we have pretty cool information to share with her! But first! I really, really got to pee!" The boy said before leaving everyone.

"Man, he's really an annoying guy, isn't he?" Gunn stated before turning to face everyone in the room. "But he is right about one thing, we do have great info to share with everyone. But first you guys need to tell us what the hell is going on here and who the new guys are."

The group turned to look at each other and was about to answer the man when suddenly the lights all went out and the scared screams of the Potentials upstairs rang heavily in the air.

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **And that is it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and didn't made too focus on the character bashing, because bashing the characters was totally not my goal for this chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading and please do not forget to leave a review! They, after all, fuel my lovely muse! Thanks again and hope to see you all in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Notes: Second to the last chapter! Hahahaha! I am so proud! Anyway, hope you all enjoy reading this one as I enjoyed wwriting it! Thank you all who had supported this fic! And again, enjoy!**

 **Special thanks to my beloved beta, djellibabe, for helping me with this fic! You are amazing and I truly thank you for it!**

 **(O.O)**

After lighting a few candles and getting the girls upstairs to calm down, the gang finally settled. There was still heavy tension in the air though, but mostly it came from both team's vampire members. Angel was still licking his wounds from the verbal assaults he had been given earlier. While Spike was stewing in anger at the people in the house. He was also a bit conflicted on what he should be doing. He knew he had to stay and take care of business concerning the First, but what he really wanted to do was to run outside into the night and find the Slayer. After finding out what the lot of them did to his Buffy, he wanted nothing to do with the ungrateful bastards and just find and comfort his Slayer. But again, duty was stopping him.

He couldn't help but be amused as he realized the irony of his situation.

A year ago, he knew that he wouldn't have thought twice and would've just gone and tried to locate the Slayer.

But things were different for him now. He had priorities and a mission and he had a team that relied on his judgment and a lot of other factors that were getting in the way of his own selfish feelings.

A smile graced his lips at that other thought.

He was a vampire and he was suppose to be selfish, yet when he came to his duty and the mission, he tried not to be that kind of person.

 _God, I truly am one messed up vamp._ He thought dejectedly.

"Alright, since we are all settled, how about we begin this new meeting by again introducing the new members of the team to the ones who just arrived," Giles said, leading the conversation for everyone. The Watcher was eying him to be the one to introduce his companions but he wasn't in the mood to play nice with any of them. He was still angry after all. So he merely glared at the old man and turned to face one of the walls of the house.

Seeing that the vampire wasn't in the mood to talk, Whistler took the reign. "Alright, since I'm the agent here and was really supposed to be the one to introduce Spike and his team, how about I do the introductions now like I was expected to do in the first place, before I left you guys earlier? That alright with you?" He eyed his audience. Everyone nodded in agreement and so he took this as a sign to start. "Alright, but before everything though, I'd just like to tell you why I left earlier. Spike-" he called the sullen vampire in the corner. "Get out of here."

"Excuse me?" the blond vampire asked incredulously.

"I said get out of here. The Powers want you to leave this house and do what you have to do to get their Slayer back into the mission. That's among the reasons why I was called away. They wanted me to tell you that your other mission, aside from helping to prevent the First from destroying this realm, is to go and bring the Slayer back on to the game board."

"Woah, why Spike?" Angel, the wanker, was again the first to object. "I'm sure he's the last person Buffy would want to see."

"No, Angel, that would be you. You're the last person the Slayer would want to see. Spike on the other hand-"

"Has no real relations to Buffy," this time it was the Watcher who said those words. "I am sorry, Mr. Whistler, but I just fail to see why Buffy would be coming back by Spike's encouragement. After all he hasn't been around her for an entire year and even before that he and she were hardly on good terms with each other," Giles explained, while failing to see how Spike flinched at his words of him being away from the Slayer for a year and about not being on good terms with her.

 _Watcher's got a point. Buffy and I aren't on good terms at all. Last year complicated and even destroyed whatever friendship we had tentatively formed over the years._ The vampire thought sadly.

"Perhaps it would be best if we sent someone else on the job to retrieve Buffy. Like Willow or Dawn ?" the Watcher suggested.

"Yeah, like we'd really be able to do or say anything to get her back," a new voice, one they hadn't heard since she sent the Slayer away earlier, said snidely. Everyone in the room all turned to the couch where the youngest Summers woman sat with her hands on her lap and her long brown hair cascading to cover her pretty face. She then looked up at everyone in the room. "If you all had forgotten, all of us, most especially me, had ganged up on my sister and thrown her out of this house. The house, as Whistler said, she was paying to keep. We all betrayed Buffy and we would be the last persons she'd want to see."

"That's not true, Dawn. She's Buffy and she'd never stay angry at us!" Xander said.

"Is that what you think?!" The teen glared at her one-eyed friend. "You think that Buffy's too kind and would never hate us? Then you truly are a poophead, Xander! Buffy hated all of us! She always had ever since she came back! You know why I know this? Because she told me! She told me that she hated her friends, and me! Her own sister! She said she hated us sometimes because we all can be sooo needy towards her. We always threw our problems at her and expected her to solve them! Willow became addicted to magic, and Buffy was the one who had to make sure that the stupid witch stopped using those spells and had to clean out the house of all herbs and spell books to prevent her from straying. Xander left Anya at the altar, he came into our house and stayed there because he couldn't take sleeping at his own apartment when Anya wasn't there. And I was always busy trying to gain her attention by doing bad stuff like stealing and not going to school. We all wanted Buffy to help us so badly instead of all of us doing that for ourselves. The only person who didn't asked Buffy for anything was Giles and he left her!" She looked at the Watcher this time with teary eyes. "You left her, and so she said that she hated you and everyone of us for making her life, the one that some of us forced on her-" She gave Xander and Willow hard glares. "-feel even more crappie than it already was."

"Dawn, when exactly did Buffy say this?" Angel asked the obviously distraught teen. He didn't like what he was hearing from her, because it was making it sound that Buffy wasn't acting like the Buffy he knew, because the Buffy he knew would never say such things to her friends and sister. So he had to know to be certain that the teen was not lying and making this up so they wouldn't help Buffy.

Dawn glared at Angel, obviously knowing exactly why the vampire had asked her. She thought that the asshole was being arrogant and was treating her like a kid again, and she hated that about him. So she told them the truth about everything.

"The night after Willow left for England and Xander finally left the house to sleep at his own apartment, I heard Buffy crying in her room. I came inside and and found her lying on her bed, bawling her eyes out. I asked her what was wrong and she told me just how tired she was of everything. Told me how much she hated everyone for what they did to her. She complained about a lot of things too that night; from Willow's addiction, to Tara's death, to being alive even after Warren shot her, even about Xander for not being married to Anya. She even complained about the men in her life; Dad, Giles, Riley and you, Angel." She spat the last one as she looked at said vampire's disbelieving look. "She complained about how all of you thought that leaving her was for her own good when in reality all of you left her because you couldn't deal with the real Buffy. You all were too wimpy and pathetic that you all couldn't take and accept the Buffy you all were seeing." She then returned her attention to all the Scoobies in the room. "She said she was tired of always having to care for people. Always having to meet everyone's expectations. She just wanted to be Buffy, but everyone always placed her in these pedestals that expected her to be the little Miss Perfect and she was sick of it. She wanted an out and she welcomed death for it."

It was confusing, she knew. _Buffy wanting to be Buffy? What the heck did that mean?_ It was a truly confusing thought. And back when she fist heard it, she had been confused too. But after today and hearing everyone's view of her sister, she finally understood what Buffy had meant and she was finally understanding the gravity of what she and all her sister's friends had done to their Slayer. Buffy wanting to be Buffy because none of them truly did know her sister as they all thought they did and because of this fact her sister was very sick of her life because no one really understood her.

"Buffy wanted to die?" Willow's voice echoed everyone's concerns.

"Yes!" Dawn screamed as tears started falling from her eyes.

She hurt to remember her sister's words that night, in fact she had wanted to never think about it again, because she knew they were words uttered in a moment of weakness by her sister. A moment that even now she regrets not being able to help her sister overcome because she hadn't understood back then why a woman as strong as Buffy had felt that way because she had been so selfish back then and thought Buffy shouldn't be telling her these things.

Back then she hadn't known how to help her sister, she still didn't now, because she was still a kid and she hated it but she couldn't help it. All she had done back then was to hug her distraught sister and listen to her because she could not think of anything to say that would make her feel better. So she simply listened and found out a lot of hard truths about Buffy she wasn't ready to hear. And now, she was gonna share these truths to everyone, because they needed to know what her sister had been going through all those times she had been acting so strong when all she wanted was to fall on her knees and be weak. They had to know, to understand the severity of what they had done and stop acting so high and mighty about it.

"She-she said she wanted to die. She said that she-she had always wanted to-to die since she came back. But she didn't end her life because she was always stopped by her duties as the Slayer and reaponsibilities towards her friends and family. She kept moving on, j-just go-going through the motions and it had sickened her. She was dying inside and we never noticed because we all expected her to be alright because she was Buffy. So she smiled when she was with us, joked around when it was necessary. It wasn't long before she learned to fake every reaction necessary so we'd leave her alone and to prevent us from smothering her to be the real Buffy. We had been so selfish, so self-absorb that we never noticed how alone my sister always felt. And we just kept adding to her problems by letting her help us face ours. So we shouldn't wonder why I said she wouldn't want to see anyone of us, because we all just turned our backs on her when she finally decided that she needed us!"

Dawn was now sobbing hard, her hands covered her face and she was shaking. Willow hurriedly brought the distressed teen into her arms, and tried to calm her. She too had tears in her eyes. Right until now, she never understood the gravity of what she done, she only thought that ganging up on Buffy earlier would help them with their cause and defeat the First. But what she failed to think that her siding on Kennedy and Angel's sides wasn't betrayal on Buffy's end when she had decided to leave them, but a betrayal on her and everyone else's side when they decided to go against Buffy. They all betrayed Buffy, and she had a great right to leave them. They were all stupid and crazy to let go of their leader, and not just because she was right in her ideas but because she was Buffy, their friend. They should've listened to her and had her listen to them. They should've talked to her or done something to make her understand that she was not alone and that she didn't have to bare the responsibilities alone, instead of telling her she was cold, high strung, tired and unfriendly towards the Potentials and everyone else.

They were wrong. They all were so wrong.

"I still don't see why Spike should be the one we send after Buffy," again, Angel said, opening his big mouth. "I get that everyone did something to Buffy and we are all guilty about what had happened, But that doesn't mean we should just send Spike, of all people, to go after Buffy. I mean, like Giles said, the two of them hate each other!"

"No, they don't," Dawn answered softly that everyone almost missed. "Buffy and Spike don't hate each other. Spike loves Buffy and Buffy-she cares for Spike, in a way that she regretted not being able to tell him before he left town."

This stopped Angel in his tracks. His Grandchilde loved his Slayer? Well that explained a lot on why the bastard was fighting for the side of good. The idiot thought he could gain Buffy's attention by being a Warrior of Light, just like him. A smirk appeared on his lips as he thought that even now, little Willie was still trying to take what was already his. But then the smile left his lips as he thought back that Buffy too seemed to have a soft spot for the peroxide haired vampire.

 _Why would she care about the idiot? It's not like he was all that important._

He then remembered the kiss she laid on him earlier and the expression on her face when she realized who the man underneath the hood was. Those were two things he wouldn't have expected his Slayer would direct to his Grandchilde. Did she just really care about the bastard or was that feeling deeper than he realized? He wanted to know, and luckily(or unluckily, depending on who's perspective you looked at) for him he didn't have to wait.

"She cared for him so much that she cried harder as she said that she really missed him. She told me how Spike was the only person she knew would've made everything alright." She looked at Spike this time as she said the last part.

"She really said that, Bit?" the vampire asked, his voice cracking as he too was close to tears.

The teen nodded and continued, "That night she also told me just how much she missed you, and that she was sorry for what she did to make you leave her. She was also angry at you too for doing something she never thought you were capable of. You left her, Spike, like everyone else, so she was angry. But most of the time that night, she kept saying how she wished you were there." Tears were falling down the teen's cheeks again as she remembered how her sister was at the time. "She said that if you had been there, you'd have said something to make her feel good at a time like that. She said you were always good at cheering her up and that she could always count on you to help her when she was miserable. She reminisced about the time you took her to play poker with some demons, told me all about how she caught you cheating and ended up freeing the kittens you won." A sad smile escaped from Spike at that memory. "She said she missed those sweet not-so-alcoholic drinks you brought her because it always made her loosen up and become more fun to hang out with. She missed you reading poetry to her, missed you telling her stories of the places you've visited and how you wished you could take her there, and she missed your smile, your lewd innuendoes, which I so hadn't needed to know." She glared at he vamp, who had the decency to look abash, for a short moment, before continuing. "She even said she missed your nicknames for her, she missed you calling her luv or pet and even kitten. She cried so much, Spike, because she missed you that much and knew that she couldn't blame anyone else, even you, for leaving her."

The Scoobies and everyone else in the room, including Spike and Angel's teams, became silent again at Dawn's confession. This was new information for them. They had no idea that Spike meant that much to Buffy. Heck, the Scoobies didn't even know that his presence had been really missed by their Slayer. She never said a word to them or even reacted when they found out that the vampire was gone, so how could they have known? Of course, if she had said something, knowing themselves well, they would've told Buffy that Spike wasn't worth missing. But after listening to Dawn's revelation about how Buffy truly saw Spike, they knew that saying such to their Slayer would've been too insensitive and would've hurt Buffy more and would've ended up in her closing up to them even more than she already was. They would've sent their Slayer even further away than she already was from them had they taken a chance to tell her what they really thought of the vampire. She'd be more recluse and fake at everything she did with them. She would've seen them as a nuisance too. Of course, after hearing Dawn's confession, they realized she always saw them as a nuisance, she just didn't say it to their faces.

Spike's team on the other hand were simply surprised, but they weren't as disturbed to find out about their leader's close relationship to the Slayer. If anything it only served to complete the missing pieces of the puzzle of their leader's odd behavior when topics about the Slayer were mentioned. He either shivered or tensed up, depending on the topic before the conversation started, when the Slayer was mentioned to the vampire before a smile, whether it looked either like fondness or sadness, would grace their leader's lips at a certain memory only he was remembering. This only proved to them their assumptions that Spike really was or had been in love with Buffy, as they sometimes teased him about it. But aside from that, this conversation also showed them that for a bit, his feelings had been reciprocated in a way. Though, it also looked like that something bad happened to the two of them to cause their break up and it was something that was to be blamed on the Slayer and not to their leader, which again would explain why he decided to accept the Power's offer to let him lead them in the first place.

Angel's team weren't as affected at the revelations, as their leader was. Some were indifferent to the information, namely Gunn and Fred, because they simply didn't know Buffy other than the fact she was the Slayer and a real bossy one at that. Others, meaning Wesley, were just as surprised as everyone in Spike's team, only it was more because of the fact that the Slayer was friends with a soulless vampire. It had really been Angel, who truly felt bothered by this new information. He was angry and very jealous at the younger vampire because he knew from the teens words, Spike had something he was never able to get from Buffy. Her friendship.

 **"You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood... Blood screaming inside you to work its will."**

He had hated Spike for saying those words to them back then because he knew that the boy was right. He and Buffy could never be friends. They loved each other too much to have that kind of relationship with one another. They are always pulled towards each other. Blood, as Spike said, tells them to be with each other, hold each other, touch each other. But they knew the danger of the two of them being together that way, and that is why it had been to hard to be close to each other to be friends. And this was why he left, because he wanted Buffy to have a chance at love without the blood and massacre that happen in between.

The knowledge that Spike had Buffy's friendship made him feel hot and angry at the other vampire. He didn't deserve to be friends with Buffy and he most definitely did not deserve to be the one to bring her back!

"I'm going," Angel suddenly said, surprising everyone in the room.

"Angel, where are you going?" Wesley, asked.

Angel wanted to glare at the man, who had once stolen his son but had forgotten about it because he signed a contract that made it so. But instead he simply answered the ex-Watcher as calmly as he could muster.

"Where else? I need to find Buffy. I don't want to waste anymore time talking about whether we send Spike because we all know he's not worthy to bring our Buffy back. We sent her away so its our job to get her back, not the idiotic pretender over there, who thinks that just because he did good for a year he can waltz in here and expect us all to follow his orders and get inside Buffy's pan-"

A slap on his cheeks stopped him from continuing. He looked down and saw that it had been Dawn, who'd slapped him .

"Haven't you been listening?! Buffy doesn't or more specifically wouldn't want your help! She doesn't want any of our help! None of us can bring her back except for Spike!"

"How can you be so sure about that little girl? Because your sister told you she hates you? You are but a child, you don't know anything about Buffy, and I do. She's the Slayer and all she needs is a reminder of her duties and she'll come back! She just needs to be told by someone that she needs to stop her moping and be reminded of the importance of her duties as the Chosen One, and it'll all be okay! And who better to do such a thing than me! The Power's Champion! I know what Buffy's been through and I can get her to come back! So I suggest you shut that little trap of yours because if you hadn't opened it earlier then Buffy wouldn't have le-"

Angel had been cut off again, only this time it was by a punch from Spike, who finally left the wall he'd been leaning on.

"Wanker! Don't you dare talk to the little Bit that way. Dawn may have been the one who sent Buffy away but it was you who was the reason the mutiny happened in the first place! She Is a kid, scared out of her wits and hadn't been thinking straight when she sent her sister away. You, on the other hand, could've prevented the entire thing from happening! You could've told everyone to sod off and let Buffy lead you lot, but no! You had to stay silent and waited for everyone to finish their vote of you being the leader! You big tosser! She trusted everyone to be by her side, but she trusted you the most, because you were the love of her bloody life! She saw you as her second in command. But what do you do? Nothing! You did nothing to protect the woman you love from being thrown out of her house!"

"Shut up, Spike. You don't know what happened. You weren't there when Buffy lead all of us to get killed on her hunch, a hunch that she planned on pursuing even though it was obviously wrong!"

"It wasn't wrong, Angel," Charles Gunn, one of Angel's team, suddenly said.

"What?!" Angel turned to look at the man.

"I said, Buffy, the Slayer, wasn't wrong. There is something in that vineyard. Some sort of weapon against the First. I ain't sure, I merely did a rough translation at that church, using those upgradns the law firm gave me. But anyway, it said that it was something ancient that could be wielded by a Slayer and only a Slayer alone."

"See? The Slayer had been right. But you doubted her and now, she left. You, the Champion of the People, doubted the Power's Chosen One! And because of what you did or what you allowed to happen, the Slayer is lost to you!"

"That's why I want to fix it! I want to make up to Buffy and get her to come back!"

"And you think you can do that by telling her to get out of her funk and do her job?! Is that it? You think that the Slayer would come back by telling her she's being an idiot by putting this tantrum and running away? You think that she'll listen to you if you tell her that it's her duty to save the world? Bollocks, you giant pillock! Buffy's not coming back because of that! She ain't coming back if you tell her any of those things!"

"How the hell would you know, Spike? You have no idea what Buffy would do?!"

"And that's just it, Angelus! I do know what Buffy would do! Bloody hell, I know that woman far better than I should know anyone! And it's not just because I spent my time studying the damn chit, because even before I became closely acquainted with the her and the Scoobies, I've always known her. I know what goes on in that irritating little mind of hers! And I know that if you tell her any of those things, she'll punch you! Bloody hell, she'll probably stake you, you wanker! Buffy doesn't need to be reminded of being a Slayer, she always knows that. She doesn't need to be reminded of her duties either, they're hard wired inside her. What Buffy needs is someone to remind her how important she is, and not just because she can save the world. But because she is needed as Buffy, the woman. She needs to be reminded what an amazing person she is, because dammit, Angelus, she always forgets that. She's so insecure of herself and thinks very little of her importance. She thinks she's just a Slayer to everyone, someone who people turn to when they need someone to kill stuff, prevent apocalypses, and all that rot. She needs to remember why she is the best Slayer of all time, why she is still needed despite Faith being here. And I know you can't do that because you don't know who Buffy the woman is. You don't know anything about her. She's not just a Slayer, Angelus, and she needs to be reminded of that. She's more than that. And I doubt you can tell her about it because you will always see Buffy as the sixteen year old Slayer you met years ago, and not the strong, independent woman she is now."

This silenced Angel. He let Spike's words sink in and realized, with great reluctance, that the boy was right. He didn't know this Buffy. This Buffy, who was cold, hard and headstrong, he knew nothing about her. He hadn't even recognized her when he first came to Sunnydale and volunteered to help her with her cause. He thought back about how she hadn't run into his arms to greet him or properly thanked him for coming. She remembered how she would brush off his ideas because it didn't suit her and how she would order him to follow instead of listen to his lead. He wasn't used to it, and in fact he hated it. He had hated that Buffy wasn't needing him. He had hated that she wouldn't consult his advice on what she should do. He wasn't used to this Buffy, and he realized that it had been because of this that he didn't protest when everyone wanted to give the leadership to him. He didn't like Buffy acting strong and independent. He hadn't like Buffy not depending on him.

 _We liked our women weak, innocent and fragile._ A voice in his head said.

He shook it off, knowing it had been his demon talking. He didn't like what it was saying, but he couldn't help but agree with it either. He did like it better when Buffy was acting weak and needed him, it made it easier for him to get her to follow his commands and this sickened him.

Why would he want the woman he love to be weak and need him? Buffy was better when she was strong and capable of handling things by herself. Why would he think that way?

He hated himself for thinking this way, and he realized that he was indeed not the right man for the job.

 _But of course it still didn't mean that Spike was any better._

"Okay, you're right. I am not right for the job of getting Buffy back. But why do you think you should be the one to do it, huh? Just cause you know Buffy doesn't mean you have what it takes to bring her back. What the hell makes you so special that the Powers would want you to be the one to bring back their Champion?"

"I don't know why," Spike said softly, which surprised him. He had never heard Spike speak that way before. The boy sounded so sad and uncertain, though why he'd feel that way, he had no idea. All he knew was that he didn't like that coming from Spike, the only person who he knew never gave up on something he wanted. "Buffy and I-we aren't friends, like she was with Harris and Red. Or family, like she sees Dawn and Giles. She doesn't love me like she loves you, this much I'm certain. I don't even know what I am to that woman, but I do know that I love her and will do whatever it takes to make her feel better . Whether she comes back with me or not, it's her decision. I just want to go and make sure she's alright."

And that was what made him different from Spike. He had just wanted to get Buffy to come back, not really caring whether she would want to return or not. His Grandchilde simply wanted to make sure she was safe. He realized at that moment that Spike had been the better man of the two of them, despite not having a soul, and that he had been wrong about everything he had said about the other vamp earlier. At that moment he admitted his mistake to himself and finally accepted the Power's decision.

"Tell her, sorry, for all of us," he said as he stepped aside and gave way for the other vamp to exit the house.

"You lot should tell her that yourselves," the blond vampire stated as he left the house.

 **(O.O)**

When the door closed shut, Whistler took it as an indication to start and finish his explanation of the situation to the group.

"Alright! Now that Spike is out looking for your Slayer, I'll start reintroducing his team to everyone again, if its alright with you?" he asked the group but noticed that a lot of its members weren't paying attention to him anymore and were all more busy staring at the door Spike left through.

He could see that they were all still reeling from the conversations they had earlier. They all were still having their own inner anguish going inside of them and he was really getting impatient with it. He may be sent there to help explain to the group about Spike's team being there and tell them about what the Powers wanted them to do. But it didn't mean he had all night to do it. He didn't have all night after all. He was still needed elsewhere.

"Okay, enough with the moping! Yes, you were stupid to send your Slayer away. Yes, you're now all feel bad and guilty about it! But get over it people! You don't have an entire lifetime to spend brooding like a certain vampire we all know." This earned him a glare from the said vampire, but he chose to ignore it and continued. "You need to get your wits together and start planning on what you guys have to do next. The First ain't gonna wait forever, you know. I'm certain that the damn bastard is out there now putting his sinister evil plans to action while you lot are busy fighting amongst yourselves."

"He's right," Faith suddenly said, "The First is the Big Bad we all need to defeat and we all ain't gonna get to that if we all fight with each other or feel sorry for ourselves. We need to get a grip, guys, especially you people. I know you feel bad about what you did to B, but I know Spike, and that guy can put one hell of a speech together so I'm sure he'll get B to come back like the Powers want. In the meantime, how about we all get together and start thinking on what we should do while they are not around, this will make us more productive and all that."

Whistler did not fail to notice how Faith was able to bring everyone back from their depressing state with her words and he could not help but be proud of the woman for it.

A year ago, Faith was someone who simply accepted being on the sidelines because she feared not being as good as Buffy and Angel were, now she knew the extent of her capabilities and knew that she too can lead a group when the situation required it. She had grown so much and he knew she had Spike to thank for that.

"Of course, before we start the planning we need to let the weasel here say what he has to say so he can leave and let the lot of us do our job, ain't that right, Weasel?" Faith eyed him teasingly, thus making him sigh in resignation.

 _He also had Spike to thank for the group's lack of respect for him._

"Thank you, Faith," he stated, "Alright, for those who had just arrived, I am Whistler, an agent or emissary of the Powers that Be, I've been sent here to inform you of Spike and his team's arrival. Spike, the peroxide haired vampire you all saw leave earlier, is known as the Power's Dark Champion, he, in contrast to Angel, and his team are the ones the Powers assign to do the dirty work. Meaning-"

"We are in charge when humans go dark and try and end the world," Ethan Rayne supplied. The members of his team though glared at the mage for his bluntness. "What? You were all beating about the bush. We'll be working with these people, might as well tell them that we kill other people under the Power's orders so they'll know what to expect when they team up with us."

"You-you-you kill humans?" Willow repeated, sounding really scared and surprise at this. "Bu-bu-but I thought you were the good guys!"

"We are, Willow," Amy said gently, "We just don't act like your typical white hats. We kill, maim and hurt humans who go dark and try to end the world."

Xander shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, the Powers. Higher beings that were supposed to be the good guys were ordering a bunch of not-so-evil group of individuals to do their dirty work and kill humans who they are all supposed to be protecting. "But humans-"

"Are not all good, Xander. You of all people should know that, considering what my ex-boyfriend Warren did to some of the members of your group," April cut the boy off, a heated gleam shone in her eyes as she remembered the man who created her.

"Same goes for demons, not all demons are evil, either. We are a group of individuals dedicated to fight off the _Forces of Darkness_ in all shapes and sizes, may they be humans or demons. And protect the world to maintain it's Balance. All of us transverse in the plains of darkness or were all once touched by evil, but we have been proven worthy to fight the good fight anyway. We bring justice to those we see worthy and vengeance to all who deserve it! We-"

"Jonathan!" The rest of the group yelled, stopping the boy from his super long explanation of who they were.

"Oh, come on! I was almost at the best part. I was about to say our team's name!"

"We already talked about this, kid, we ain't using some name you got off some stupid comic," Faith told the overly excited fanboy.

"Why not?! Suicide Squad is a really cool name to call ourselves! I mean, our team is composed of ex-cons, an magic addict, a chaos mage, and a murdering vampire! We are so like the real thing! And I bet I can make an excellent Joker!"

"Oh, dear Lord! Please tell this boy to shut up or I will turn him into a toad and feed him to a shark if he continues his insistent babble of useless cartoon fictions!" Ethan said.

"Hey! They aren't useless! Even Spike agreed with me!"

"My memory processor says that Spike stated that he had read one comic book in his unlife, and he only said that once! He never ever agreed that they were not useless," April said.

"Oh, come on! Why are you all always against me when it comes to this?"

"Because we all happen to be among the really cool kids and comics are for nerds and geeks," Faith teased.

"And losers and people who can't get a girlfriend!" April continued happily.

"I believe Faith established that it was for nerds and geeks already, April," Amy joined, looking all cheeky.

The group continued their nonsensical banter with each other, and had totally forgotten the entire point of the conversation or the other group that were there with them and listening to their conversation.

The members of the other group, who once knew the members of Spike's group, all stared in wonder at the scene unfolding in front of them. Some, namely Xander and Willow, were envious of the closeness the other team displayed among each other. The two of them missed such closeness going on between the Scoobies. Others, namely Giles and Wesley, were simply amazed and surprised to see a part of their old acquaintances in the group, meaning Ethan and Faith, they had never witneseed while they had been together in the past. This made the two realize that the team Spike created truly had changed people for the better. And some, namely Angel and Kennedy, were just annoyed that everyone was wasting time.

"Enough already! I thought we were on a tight schedule here. What, with the First planing something sinister and all that. We don't have time for useless arguments!" Angel told the group.

"Dude, chill," Faith said, "We were just playing around."

"We don't have time for games, Faith. We don't have time for being childish and immature while arguing about what to call your team. This isn't the time for that."

Angel saying this made Faith's blood boil at the asshole's hypocrisy. Only earlier that night the bastard was doing the same thing to a member of her team. He was being prissy and kept arguing about Spike's worthiness to be part of the group, because the idiot couldn't deal with the fact Spike was chosen to be someone he couldn't be. _So who was he to say that they were being childish and immature?_

She would've hit the asshole but she choose not to. Whether Angel was being a hypocrite or not, he was still right about something. They were on a tight schedule. So they needed to finish this conversation and get the group to accept them so they can start planning an attack on the First.

"Okay. You're right," she told Angel before turning to face her companions. "We need to stop arguing guys, as fun as it is, this ain't the time and place for that." She then turned to Whistler. "Weasel, continue the explanation so we can get to the part about why the Powers called you back earlier and to planning on what we do next with regards to the First."

"Alright. Anyway, as I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted." He glared at Ethan. "They do the Power's dirty work and defeat the bad guys who they know you and Buffy wouldn't want to deal with."

"Like humans," Angel pointed stated. "They kill evil humans."

"That's right," Whistler answered, "And save demons. What you lot need to understand with this group is that they do what the Powers ask of them and they do it in ways that they deem is right. They make tough choices and those choices may not suit your ears but they have saved the world countless times with these choices. All we ask is that you trust them and they will do whatever it takes to take down the First."

"So they are here to help?" Giles asked, giving the group a scrutinizing look, "They won't stray or join the First?"

"That's what I've been saying. You can trust them," Whistler said. But he saw the reluctance and he was getting real tired of it. "Okay, look. I know this is hard for you, because of who these people used to be to you and what they did in the past."

"That's an understatement," Xander muttered, earning him a glare from the agent.

"But all of that was in the past. You guys need to put aside your differences and work with these people. They can help you and they are willing, so as long as you are too. They will not betray you nor will they hurt any of you. Unless you deserve it," he said that last part and aimed it at Xander. "They are your only chance of surviving this fight, guys. So please... Work together."

The group exchanged looks. Some were still reluctant, while others look like they were considering the offer and some simply looked uncertain. It had been Giles, who finally made the decision for the group though.

"Very well, Mr. Whistler. We shall work with Spike and his team," he told the agent before facing Faith. "Seeing as your leader is not here I shall assume you are in charge of this group when he's not around?"

"Naw, not really. But I am a Slayer, so I guess I do get a few chances on taking the mantel when Spike's not around."

"I see. But anyway, Faith, as a representing member of this team, I shall accept your help. _All of your help_ in fighting the First. I only ask that you and everyone will keep your end of the bargain and not place members of my team in harms way. Do I make myself clear?" The look the Watcher gave her was enough for the Slayer to recognize the underlining threat within his polite words.

But she didn't want to provoke him or any of them any longer. "Crystal," she answered, "So as long as you do the same for me and mine, just as Rayne said, then we'll have no problem whatsoever, G."

"Good."

Whistler smiled at the exchange and was happy that everything was going smoothly so far. Now for the hard part of his job: _telling them, what would happen if they all fail._

"Alright, now, for the last part of my job. I'm gonna tell you why I left earlier." This gained him back everyone's attention. He took a deep breath before finally starting his explanation. "You all know about the First and all its plans to destroy this word and all that right?" He got a few nods from his audience. "Well, this dude wants more than that. He wants to destroy the whole universe."

Everyone gasped.

"The First is sin and evil incarnate. It has been there even before the beginning of man, and before demons started roaming this Earth. It has been there since the start of creation and will continue to exist as long as evil exists in the world."

"But why has it come now?"

"Because you ignorant children created the ultimate sin, and gave it the boost it needed to appear to people."

"We raised Buffy from the dead," Willow said in horror. Kennedy placed a comforting hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Naw, a lot of people do such a thing. It was the fact you stole her from Heaven that truly powered the First. Pulling someone, a Slayer, more specifically, was the gravest thing you people ever did, and that you did it out of selfish reasons, was only the icing on the cake."

"So Spike was right," Xander said, "All of this really was our fault."

"Yup," Whistler said, with a resounding "P". "But that is not the thing you people should be upset about. It's what the First plans to do while it is free and roams around."

"What does it plan to do?" this time it had been Angel, who asked the question.

"It wants to open the Hellmouth and release its army of Ubervamps in to the world. But it won't stop there. Because once its army is released and humans are all dead or enslaved, it will then open all the other Hellmouths around the globe."

"There's more than one Hellmouth?" Xander asked.

"Yes, Xander. There are a total of 56 Hellmouths scattered around the world. Only this one in Sunnydale is the most active one, which is why a Slayer was assigned here. Anyway, all these Hellmouths lead to a different hell dimension. Open all of them, a cataclysmic explosion will occur from the energies that gather when Hellmouths open, and will devour not just this world but all the other worlds as well, and when that happens, life in all universe will cease to exist. Nothing will be left."

Silence once again ruled the room. Everyone there had just realized the severity of the situation. If they fail, they don't just die, but it seemed the whole universe will die alongside them.

"Well, this is a good then," Ethan Rayne suddenly said as he chuckled as if he was finding something amusing in the situation. These actions both surprised and angered everyone in the group.

"What the bloody hell is so good and funny about this, Ethan? The universe will end and you are finding all of this amusing?" Giles said, anger radiating in his voice.

"Well, yes, I find all this amusing. All of you are looking so worried just from hearing this? Bloody hell, my team and I have faced worse! The Powers always tend to exaggerate their apocalypses, based on my experience and this is just one of those exaggerations."

"Are you saying that if we fail then the universe will not disappear from existence?" Willow asked hopefully.

"Oh, my dear child, of course it will," Ethan said, again angering everyone. But before they all could yell at him for being such a bastard in a situation as dire as they were in, he continued. "But it is a good thing because we will not fail." He then shared a smirk with his teammates. "With all of us working on this fight, this First Evil will most definitely be defeated. We need not worry about the future of what would happen should we fail, because we won't fail. It was never an option to fail. Which is why I found it funny that you lot all looked so down because you all gave up with just hearing that. You're supposed to be the heroes, and us heroes always save the day! At least that's what I learned since I was forced to become one by a certain blackmailing vampire. But nonetheless, we shall not fail, so as long as you have us, we'll destroy this First Evil and save the bloody universe!"

The finality and certainty of how the ex-chaos mage said those words had somehow sprung hope in to the hearts of everyone in the group. The unwavering trust and optimism was not something that was expected from the man in front of them but after hearing it from him, it made everyone believe that they would win this fight.

"Aww, Raynie! You are such a huge softy!" April suddenly said, giving the mage a hug.

"Let me go, you confounded bot!"

"Nope! Not letting you go! I love it so much when you start doing inspirational speeches like Spike does! It makes it even better when they are done in your accent!"

"We have the same accent, you malfunctioning machine! Now let go!"

"Nope! You deserve a hug for what you did!" April only served to tighten her hold on the man.

"Oh, my god, Mr. Rayne, you're blushing! You're really blushing!" Amy said from the sidelines.

"I am not!"

The group was at it again, only this time, no one in the other group were bothered or annoyed by their antics. In fact, they were all comforted by it. Ethan's words along with the group's lighthearted teasing and banter amongst each other had been enough to take away the remains of whatever feeling of fear and hopelessness they all felt upon hearing what would happen if they all should fail in this fight. They were somehow rejuvenated and felt more determined to make sure they did not fail.

"Hey, Weasel!" Faith called the man's attention, which stopped her teammates from their usually antics and gained everyone's attention back towards the agent. "That all the Powers want to share about the First? Do they have anything else they'd like to tell us that could help us win this fight?"

"Well, aside from Spike having to be the one to get the Slayer back in the game, no, there is nothing else."

"Well, guess you're useless to us now. Why don't you go and leave and do the rest of your so called duties, I'm sure you still have tons of them left. Wouldn't be nice if ya end up blaming us for slacking on the job now, would it?" the Slayer smirked at the agent.

The irritated agent huffed at her imprudence and muttered something about ungrateful brats under his breath before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Once he was gone Faith suddenly clapped her hands, to gain everyone's attention again, before putting them back on her hips as she stared at the group.

"Alright! Now that he's gone, how 'bout we start planning our next course of attack on the First?" she told everyone with a grin. "'Cause believe me I am excited to see if I can get a chance to kick this thing in the ass."

And with that, the planning began.

 **(O.O)**

Spike had been wandering for nearly thirty minutes around the already abandoned neighborhood, following the familiar scent of his Slayer. He had cursed himself for not going after her sooner while her scent had still been warm in the air. It would have been easier for him to find her if he had. He reached one of the resident houses, and found that her scent was stronger around the area or more specifically inside the house itself. He stopped by the door,and noticed that it was opened. He then wondered if he could get inside without an invite.

Taking a leap of faith, he walked in and crossed the threshold of the house without resistance. He was surprised. Being able to get inside meant that the owners were no longer around the house to put claim on it . This bit of information disturbed him, most especially since he had finally ascertained that the house held inside its walls his wayward Slayer.

 _Stupid reckless bint. What the hell have you been thinking just coming inside this place where you couldn't even get proper protection._ He thought angrily.

He walked around the house to search for the Slayer until he reached a door upstairs where he noticed her scent was stronger. Opening the door wider he finally found the woman he had been searching for.

"There you are," he said gaining her attention from the bed she way laying on. "Do you realize I could just walk in here, no invite needed? This town really is theirs now, isn't it?" He walked closer to the bed. "I heard," he said softly, "Self-righteous bastards. They take you from heaven and force you in this life, but when you don't live up to their standards they all decide to turn on you and stab you in the back. Bloody bastards."

Buffy continue to stare off into the corner of the room. "It wasn't just Xander and Willow," she said softly, "It was all of them." She then looked up to the vampire. "And it's not like they were wrong. Please leave, Spike. You're not needed here," she said, turning away from him again.

"You sure about that, Slayer? That's not exactly how I heard it, luv. A little birdie told me that you missed me and that you cried over my not being there." He smiled softly at her.

"So you're sharing secrets with Dawn again, huh? That's good, tell that sister of mine that she should start getting used to having a vampire for a brother than a Slayer for a sister because I ain't coming back to her ever," she stated angrily.

"The Bit didn't mean what she did to you, you know?"

"Didn't mean what she did?!" She turned back to him and glared at the vampire. "Which part? When she threw me out of my own house? Or when she kept it a secret about where you were while I cried to her about missing you?! God, how could I be so stupid! Why the hell would I even miss an asshole like you? You who left like the rest of them! Why would I cry over someone who didn't even think about telling me where he was going or say goodbye to me at the very least?! Why the hell would I even want you when you turned my sister against me?! Why?" She was crying all while looking angrily at the man standing beside her bed. She hadn't wanted to cry, hadn't even wanted to react this way. But seeing Spike come inside and be the one to find her? She just couldn't help but be emotional in front of him.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly said, surprising her out of her inner anguish.

"What the hell are you sorry about?!" she asked, because really she had no idea why he'd be sorry. Yes, she was angry at him for leaving, but as he said earlier, he left because he couldn't take her abusing him anymore. He couldn't take the way he was treated by her. And she understood that. She had been a monster in their relationship and so he shouldn't be apologizing to her like this. If anything it should be her that should be saying sorry.

"I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. I'm sorry that you had to deal with all the crap in your life alone. I'm sorry that you had no one to talk to when I left. I'm sorry that I had been such a coward who didn't fight for the love I had for you." He sat beside her on the bed. His hand cupping her cheek while his thumb traced her tears away. "You had been fighting alone all this time, Slayer. And I am sorry about that too. You shouldn't have had to do that, pet, and I am sorry for that."

"It wasn't your fault. I was such a giant bitch to you so you decided to protect yourself by leaving," she told him.

A chuckle escape from him at that part of her confession. "That you were, luv. But that didn't mean you deserved what you have been through. No one does, especially not you."

"You're right. I didn't deserve the things that happened to me. But they still did happen and my friends still betrayed me. And I-I'm just so tired, Spike." She removed her face from his hand and looked away from him again.

Dropping his hand, he stared at her defeated form. This was his Slayer, yet everything about how she was acting at the moment just seemed wrong. The way she hunched her shoulders, her eyes downcast. She looked so defeated and broken and it was just wrong. Where was the woman who kicked his arse so many times in the past? Where was the woman who gave Angelus a beat down of his life? Where was the woman who defeated a bloody hell god? Where was the woman he fell in love with?

Obviously she was not there at the moment and what remained in her place was this shadow of her replacement. And he hated this with all his being.

He cursed the Scoobies and Angelus for letting this happen to Buffy. And he cursed himself for not stopping it sooner, had he been there with her-he shook his head at the thought.

 _No, there'd be no sense in regretting what I did in the past. I left and made that decision for myself. It was selfish and I regret that I had hurt Buffy by it, but I don't regret doing it. I saved a lot of lives and changed a lot of them too. I did a lot of good in the process . So nope, not gonna regret leaving. Just regret not reconciling with the damn bint and kept acting like a coward by avoiding her the entire year._

"Buffy, listen to me, pet. I know you're tired. Hell, I'd be too in your position. But you can't quit now. Because that ain't like you, luv. You're not a quitter."

"Watch me," was her only reply.

"Okay, fine. Guess you can be a quitter but are you seriously gonna let yourself rot in here while the world ends?"

"Someone always tries to end the world, Spike. I'm just tired of being the one that has to stop it."

"Alright, understandable, you need a vacation. But really, pet. You really gonna be like that in the middle of a big fight? This just ain't like you, Slayer."

"You don't know me as well as you once did . I'm not that Slayer anymore."

"Bollocks, you and I both know that you'll always be that Slayer. The one who has kicked my arse far too many times than I can 're strong woman Buffy and that's why I know you can get through this. No matter what Angel and the others said. You are amazing and you always did what you thought was right."

"Funny how the things I think about always got one of the girls killed... I get them killed every single time."

"There's always casualties in war, pet," he told her.

"Casualties. It just sounds so...casual. These are girls that I got killed. I cut myself off from them...all of them. I knew I was gonna lose some of them and I didn't—" She shook her head, and stood up. "You know what? I'm still making excuses. I've always cut myself off. I've always—" She sighed heavily. "Being the slayer made me different. But it's my fault I stayed that way. People are always trying to connect to me, and I just slip away. You should know, been doing that to you since we started that horrid relationship of ours."

He smiled sadly as he looked up to her from the bed. "I seem to recall a certain amount of connecting."

She shook her head in exasperation. "Oh, please! We were never close. You wanted it to be because you always saw me as someone-unattainable. That's it! You only wanted me because I was unattainable."

This time is was Spike's turn to stand and look angrily at the Slayer.

"You think that's all that was?" he questioned, his voice raising along his anger.

"Please, let's not go over the past," she dismissed as she sat back down on the bed.

"Oh, no, no. Let's hold on here. I've hummed along to your pity-ditty, and I think I should have the mic for a bit."

"Fine. The stage is yours. Cheer me up," she replied haughtily.

"You're insufferable," he said, sounded irritated.

"Thank you. That really helped," was her sarcastic reply to him.

"I'm not trying to cheer you up!" he told her, as he started pacing, "I had been doing that earlier, but not anymore!"

"Then what are you trying to do now anyway?" she asked sounding a bit curious.

"I don't know." She smiled at his answer. Spike was like that sometimes. He'd act all knowing but then he'd lost his train of thought and would end up forgetting what he wanted to convey. The vamp can't keep ideas in his head any longer than a newly born infant. _It was probably because he had the attention span of a squirrel._ "I'll know when I'm done saying it. Something pissed me off earlier and I just—Unattainable. That's it!"

"Fine. I'm attainable. I'm an attain-a-thon. May I please just go to sleep?" She may find his actions funny but she was growing tired of this conversation. She just wanted the night to end and wait a until everything settled over.

"No, not yet. Want you to listen to me first." He then knelt in front of her. "I've been alive a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I prefer you didn't. I don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker. I follow my blood, which doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain. So I make a lot of mistakes, a lot of wrong bloody calls." He looks into her eyes, all jokes and frustrations were pushed aside. "But a 100+ years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of: you." Buffy, unable to deal with the intensity of his gaze, looked away. But he reached toward her face, and stills her there. "Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. And I know you'll never believe me, especially after I left you for a year, but when I say, "I love you,", and yes, I still do, luv. That never changed while I have been away. But anyway, when I say "I love you", it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me." A tear rolls down Buffy's cheek as she listened to his words. "I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. And you're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy."

"I don't wanna be the one," she answers quietly.

Spike snorted. "I don't wanna be this good looking and athletic. We all have crosses to bear." This earned him a chuckle from the Slayer in front of him. He smiled back at her and laid her on the bed. "You get some rest now. I'll check in before first light. You can decide how you want to continue after that, whether you want to come back or not, it's up to you, luv. I'll support you all the way," he told her before he walked toward the door.

"Spike?" she called out to him making him turn around to face her. "Could you-stay here?"

"Sure," he said, walking back near her bed, and inspected with hate the chair beside it. "That diabolical old torture device, the comfy chair," he said before taking off his coat. "I'm sure it'll do me fine."

"No, I mean-here," she said shyly as she touched the bed beside her. "Will you just hold me?"

Spike froze for a bit, before he finaly sat on the bed beside Buffy and placed his arm around her. She then curled up to him, cuddling up to his chest as he put his arm around her shoulder, then he placed his hand on her head. As soon as he felt her settle in his arms, he relaxed and let sleep pull him.

 **(O.O)**

 **TBC**

 **(O.O)**

 **Ending Notes:**

 **And that was it! Again, hope you enjoyed this chapter! And if so please don't forget to review and tell me what you think. Remember, reviews fire my muse! Hehehe...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Notes:**

 **New update! Please read and enjoy!**

 **Special thanks to my ever lovely beta,** **djellibabe** **, for her ever amazing help with this fic!**

 **(O.O)**

The first thing she felt when she opened her eyes was the feelings of peace and contentment followed by giddiness and extreme happiness that one gets upon a good night's rest. She hadn't felt this way in a long time, and she was surprised that she got that from the sleeping vampire beside her.

She smiled at the irony of it all. A year ago she had always told the said vampire about how she would never be happy with him and that she could never trust him enough to find peace in his arms. But last night, she had surrendered herself to him and accepted his love for the first time and because of it she was finally able to see the beauty it could have brought into her life. She realized at that moment that had she accepted his love a year earlier, she would have been waking up with these feelings everyday up until this very day.

A feeling of sadness suddenly filled her heart.

She knew she regretted what she did to the vampire that night in the alley and mourned his absence in her life. But, after seeing what she could've had had she only accepted his love, she was now regretting how she had handled their entire relationship.

Spike's only wish while they had been together was for her to accept his love and let him take care of her. But she never allowed him that. She only took what she wanted from him and destroyed whatever he had that she didn't want. _She was just that twisted back then_. She had made fun of his love and often times, she used it against him or rebutted its existence. She denied his wishes to care for her or be gentle with her and had forced him to have a rough and destructive sexual relationship with her. True, he never once said " _no"_ to their fucking, but it didn't mean he wanted it. She had always seen it in his eyes how he hated what they did; no matter how phenomenal the sex was, it wasn't what he truly wanted from her. But she couldn't give him what he wanted, _nor had she even wanted to_. So she had always ignored his longing looks and short pleas to let him take her gently and lovingly. She'd even threatened him that she would stop seeing him if he as so much ask for such things from her again. So he had let her do with him as she pleased and kept his feelings and desires to himself.

She had been happy about it back then, but looking back on it now, she was disgusted with herself. She was the real monster in that relationship, not him. And though she had felt guilty about what she did to him before, it did not compare to how she felt about all of it now that she realized the extent of her misdeeds towards him and how she was really the cause of the misery that had been happening in her life.

She felt horrible as she realized that her past actions had led her to almost destroy something as beautiful and wonderful as Spike's ability to love. That her ignorance, arrogance and coldheartedness had nearly ruined the amazing man Spike had slowly become over the years he fought by her side and for her cause.

And because of these realizations, she was almost thankful that he had decided to leave her.

 _Almost only though_ -because, even now, she was still a selfish bitch. She knew that Spike would have been better off without her mucking up his new life. She knew he'd be happier without her around. But for some reasons, she could not fully say she was sorry that he came back.

She was grateful that he returned. _Though she thought his timing could've been better,_ she was still happy that he was there with her. Even more so since he came for her last night.

Her memories of the night before came back to her and she felt her heart flutter as she remembered what he said to her.

 **"When I say** ** _"I love you"_** **, it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. And you're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy."**

His words brought tears to her eyes and she suddenly felt a surge of strength flow over her being.

For him, _she was one hell of a woman_ , _the only one for him_ and, unlike the year before where she would have been disgusted to hear him think of her that way, she was now honored and happy to be considered that by him. Spike, the soulless vampire that was capable of loving with all his unbeating heart, thought she was the one for him. She felt proud by this revelation and it made her feel happy about herself. This happiness then turned to resolve as she realized that she was being stupid for moping in that house. Spike saw her as someone amazing, and she wasn't living up to that expectation by staying in this house feeling sorry for herself. Her friends may think of her as unworthy and a failure but she will be a true failure if she failed the man who loved her the way Spike had.

 _I think its about high time I try and do something worthy of his love instead of the other way around._ She thought with determination as she slowly removed herself from his side.

She then began to consider what she should do next. She had two choices in the matter. She either went back home and apologized to everyone for leaving and join and support them in the fight. Or she could go back to the vineyard and prove to them that there really was something important there for them to use in this battle. Her head told her to go home, while her instincts told her to go to the vineyard. All her life as a Slayer she had always followed what her gut told her. But lately, her instincts haven't exactly been the most helpful. Time and time again instinct had failed her and got people killed. _So should she really trust what it was telling her now?_

"You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep using that pretty little head of yours, luv," a sleepy voice sounded from behind her.

She turned around and saw that Spike was awake and was watching her intently.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you ," she told him, really feeling bad that she had disturbed his peaceful sleep.

"Not your fault, pet. It's not really that hard to wake me up. Vampire here, remember?" he stated. "So, looking like you were thinking real hard there, Slayer. Care to share with the class what has your mind so occupied this early in the morning?" he asked, giving her one of those deep meaningful stares he had always sent her way when he was trying to read what she was thinking.

"I was trying to decide whether it'd be a good thing to return to the house or just go to the vineyard and see what Caleb was trying to protect," she answered looking worriedly at him. She always hated showing people that she was unsure of something. It always made her feel weak and helpless when she became uncertain.

 _And in her line of work, uncertainty often led to people dying because of her._

"And what's the verdict so far?"

"Well, my head tells me to go back and regroup with everyone, and plan the next course of attack, while my heart tells me that I should follow my instincts. I know there's something important in that vineyard and Caleb is protecting it. But I can't decide which of them I should follow." She looked at him expectantly, hoping he'd have an answer for her.

And he did.

"Well, how about we do both," he said before he sat up from the bed, crossed his legs, indian style, and closed his eyes in deep concentration.

Buffy stared at him in confusion, and was about to ask what he meant and what he was doing before he suddenly started talking.

"Amy, luv, can you hear me?" Spike said out loud.

"Spike?" a voice suddenly echoed throughout the room, making the Slayer jump in surprise. She looked around for the source of the familiar voice before realizing that the sound came from her head.

"Morning, pet, how's everyone doing?" he asked the voice.

"Well, we're doing fine, considering the circumstances and rude behaviour of almost everyone in this house. Really, I thought after having that talk with Whistler last night, these people would at least stop questioning our methods. It's really annoying," the voice ranted.

Spike chuckled. "That they are, pet. What else do you think I have been feeling ever since I started fighting for their side? It's the blatant distrust they'd sent our way that really pissed me off back then. But enough of that now, tell me what the status of the FE front?"

"Well, Faith was able to give a really great idea last night, which almost everyone seemed to have agreed on doing. Anyway, she told the people here that we needed more information on the First, so we tried to capture one of its minions, a Bringer, for questioning. It wasn't hard, though we had to use one of the Potentials, named Kennedy, that's Willow's girlfriend by the way, as bait. After we lured the scabby looking demon, we caught it and questioned it. Turns out, the FE, liked it's followers blind, deaf and dumb, which is eww, by the way. I mean, you should've seen what was done to it, Spike, it'd have made what that chief in Uganda did look like child's play."

Spike shivered at the memory. Uganda wasn't their most favorite mission they had and there was a reason for it. There was a reason why cannibalism only looked good when demons did it, because they had the right equipment for the job. That chief, on the other hand, didn't have the teeth or the claws to eat living flesh yet he did it because he thought it was gonna earn him the desires of their goddess, Sheava. _Well, they sure had proved him wrong._

Shaking the thought away, Spike continued his conversation with the little witch.

"So what'd you find out from the Bringer?"

"Aside from how disgusting they were and how extremely loyal they are to the First? We also found out that apparently the First and its vessel, that's the preacher named Caleb by the way, has some sort of weapon to destroy us all. They're hiding it at some underground storage locker, which we had April locate via satellite."

"Got her to hack one of them German ones again, haven't you?"

"Yup! Anyway, Faith, that vamp, Angel, and some of the Potentials are on their way there. Mr. Rayne also tagged along with them, which leaves April, Jonathan and I, along with the Slayer's friends, that vampire's teammates and some of the remaining Potentials to hold down the fort." Spike nodded in understanding, though he knew the owner of the voice couldn't actually see him do so. "So? How about you? You found Buffy yet?"

"Yeah, found her, luv," he told her, opening one eye to look at the Slayer beside him. "And she was alright, considering what those bastards did to her."

"They're all sorry, you know," she pointed out, "Especially her sister and bestfriends, Willow and jerk-face Xander."

Again Spike chuckled at the witch's angry reaction to the whelp. He knew that the boy must've ran his mouth again last night, to get that kind of reaction from the usually calm and level-headed witch.

 _Idiot's lucky she didn't turn him in a cockroach for her to stomp on._ He thought separately from his mental link to them.

"I'm sure they are, pet. Well, tell 'em Buffy's safe and that we're on our way to the vineyard to see whatever it is that the First and this preacher is trying to protect there. Slayer wants to check it out and I'm coming with her."

"Want us to go with you?"

"Naw, you lot stay and protect the house. We can't be too sure that the First won't have that place attacked when everyone's out doing something against it."

"Alright, but be careful. Based on what Willow said, this Caleb guy ain't someone you want to fight alone."

"I ain't alone, pet, I have the Slayer watching my back and I have hers."

"Okay. Well, good luck and Amy out."

He felt his connection to the witch disappear and his consciousness returning to the abandoned house where he was with the Slayer, who was giving him weird looks.

"What? I am coming with you, Slayer. There is no way, I am leaving you to fight this battle alone, pet. So you better not start arguing with me over it," he told the young woman defensively.

She simply smiled at him, before speaking her mind.

"Faith, Amy, April, Jonathan, and Mr. Rayne? Are those the name of the members of your team?" she asked him.

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked back, giving her a guarded look. _Stupid bint better not insult my team, because love her or not, I will not let her get away with it._

"You do know that I know most of those people right? And a lot of them at least tried to kill me a time or two in the past?" she pointed out, though she still looked amused at something.

"Yeah, I know, luv. So what? You gonna go and start saying you don't want help from a robot, ex-cons, addicted witches, and former chaos mages now, pet? Because let me tell you, Slayer, my team-"

"It's just so like you to pick a group of people who are like you in a way," she cut him off.

"Huh?" was his dumb answer.

"I said. It's just so like you to create a group of not-so-evil-heroes to be the members of your team. I mean, I get Jonathan and Amy, because well-they weren't really that evil before they turned into one of the humans who used to mess with my life. Jonathan only became evil because his friends were, and Amy being a rat for some years might've done some serious messing with her head which caused her to do those things she did with Willow, so I can really see them fighting for the side of good. But the fact you have Faith and Rayne- which I shall take a huge guess and say that you mean Ethan Rayne by that. Anyway, for you to choose those two to be a part of your team? Well-it's just so you!" she explained looking really amused at the confused vampire.

"Alright, I'm confused. Are you insulting me or complimenting me in my decision on who I picked as the members of my team?"

"A little bit of both." His eyes narrowed at her, not really liking what he just heard. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm just pointing out something here!"

"You're poiting out _what exactly?_ "

"I'm simply pointing out how cute and a bit narcissistic of you that you'd choose a group of people who reminded you of yourself. People who at one point in my life, tried to kill me, annoyed me a lot, and made me care for them in some way. You mirrored your team to yourself and, I have to say it's pretty lame and cool at the same time. And also, like I said, I know most of everyone in that group, and I know what they are like when they are evil, especially Faith and Ethan. Yet at the same time, I know that they can do a lot of good too, if they'd just turn over a new leaf. You gave them that, a chance to be better people, and I'm just happy, amused and proud of you for being able to do that, Spike."

If the vampire could blush, he'd be beet red by now, but since he couldn't, _and god was he thankful for it_ , he simply turned away from the Slayer.

But Buffy wouldn't have it. She placed her hand on his face and made him turn to face her. He looked in to her eyes and saw in them an expression he could've easily identified but hadn't wanted to in fear of getting everything wrong again.

 _Is that adoration I see in her eyes?_ He thought confusedly before shaking the thought away. _Impossible, why would she direct such an expression at me? It just didn't make any sense._

"Spike," she started, immediately taking him off his internal debate to listen. "I know I can't take back what I did to you a year ago. _All the pain I caused you_. But know this, _I am sorry for each and every harsh word I said to you, for every undeserved punch and kick I aimed at you, and for never seeing what a truly amazing man you had become_. I'm sorry, Spike, and thank you. Thank you for helping me last year, for being a great friend, and for loving me, despite all of the things I had done. Remember what you said that after _my death-_ -" She felt him flinch at the word and realized that even now, he was still haunted by what happened to her that night at that tower. _Well, she hoped that after this speech of hers, she could change how he saw that night and feel better for himself._ "-that _every night you save me but not when it mattered most?_ Well, now, let me tell you that you did save me. _Every single night since I came back._ You saved me from my misery, from my pain, and from myself _._ You brought me back to life, Spike. Not Willow or Xander or even Dawn, but you, Spike. You made me want to live back then, and though I didn't appreciated it or even acknowledge it at the time, _I am acknowledging it now._ And I thank you so much for it. And I also finally forgive you for leaving me. You did what you thought was good for yourself, and you had been right to do so. Had you stayed, I know that something bad would've happened to one or both of us and I think that we would have hurt each other more than we would've wanted. But you leaving like you did, made you the better person, Spike. It made you the stronger one of the two of us. And I am proud of you for doing that. _I am so very proud of you, Spike_ , and not just because you kept fighting for my cause instead of going back to the monster everyone kept saying you were. But because you proved to everyone, especially me, that monters can be more of a man than men themselves. You proved to me that even demons can love better than humans and all I can say is that you truly are one hell of an amazing demon. _You changed, Spike_. You changed for the better and I am very honored and grateful to have met a demon like you. _To have you fighting by my side_. It makes me so happy and thankful. Thank you, Spike."

The awe and love that she saw in his face was just too much of a great reminder to Buffy of how much of an idiot she'd have been all these years. She had seen him give her that look far too many times in the past but she always ignored it, saying that Spike was just an expressive creature who had beautiful eyes that were always able to convey human emotions. She always reasoned to herself that what she was seeing wasn't real and she shouldn't be amazed at him for it.

 _Oh, how much of a fool she had been!_

Anyone with a pair of eyes can see that the look that Spike was giving her was real, and that he really did think a lot about her and love her. It made her hate herself even more for not noticing sooner.

 _Luckily for me, it is not too late to change now!_

For the second time, since his return, she gave him a gentle kiss. Only this one lasted longer than the previous one and tried to convey more emotions than any kiss she had ever given to anyone. All her feelings of regret, sorrow, happiness, thankfulness, acceptance and love, she all conveyed in that one kiss, and hoped he understood what it all meant to her.

She learnt the answer when he began kissing her back, fueling the gentle kiss and turning it into one passionate make-up session. His tongue entered her mouth and played with hers. They both sucked, licked, bit and deepened the kiss until everything else in the room seemed to disappear for the two of them. At that moment, nothing mattered but how to get close to each other.

Things would've gotten more heated had Buffy not moved away when air seemed to finally matter for her body.

 _Lucky vampire._ She said in her mind. _Not needing to breath would've come right in handy at the moment._

She panted as she leaned her forehead against his and stared deeply into his oceanic blue orbs. So many emotions running through them: Amazement, Gratitude, Love and Lust. And oh, boy, how she wanted to explore each and every one of those at the moment. But she couldn't, at least not yet. Duty calls after all. They still needed to stop the First and make sure the world didn't end before they could actually start to think about doing silly monkey sex.

So with great reluctance she moved further away from him.

"We still need to go to the vineyard and see what Caleb is hiding there," she told him and could not fail to see the disappointed and hurt look that crossed his eyes at her decision to set aside the things that happened to them just now.

She realized with horror that what she was doing was similar to what she did a year ago. She'd give him something important, make him think he can get somewhere with her, before taking from him what she wanted and leaving him to wonder if she really did give her the crumb he most definitely desired.

 _Oh, Spike, you so deserve more than a crumb. Heck! You deserve the entire cookie!_

And so she hurriedly placed her hand back on his face and made him face her again before she began her speech to reassure him of this new found relationship of theirs.

"Spike, I'm not stringing you along here as I did in the past. What I said? I meant it. And what just happened between the two of us? I wanted it. Don't think that just because I said we needed to go and do our jobs that what happened meant nothing to me, because it did. _It did mean something, Spike._ I wasn't trying to use you again to make me feel better, I don't want to do that anymore. I want us to be different than before. I want us to explore what we can have and be so much more than what we used to be. And we can only do that once we are sure that the world doesn't end by the end of Summer, and also if you actually would like to do such a thing with me once your mission to help me ends." She bit her lip as she added the last part of that speech. She had been stupid not to consider what he might like before she told him what she planned to happen to them.

 _Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!_ she called herself internally.

He must've read her mind because he immediately kissed her forehead and wiped her doubts on the matter away.

"I'd actually like that, pet. Once this fight is over and this Big Bad gets the arse kicking of the century, I'd like to try to explore those things with you too."

She smiled gratefully at him before hugging him.

"We will, Spike! Oh, we _so_ will do that!" she told him, "We'll even try and find a way to fit in this new job of yours! I mean, it'd be so evil of me to not consider this new gig of yours to save the world!"

He laughed at her considerateness. She was so adorable when she acting like a loving girlfriend.

Spike paused at that thought.

 _Girlfriend?! Bloody hell! Once we beat this First Evil, Buffy is actually gonna be my girlfriend!_

The thought simply boggled his mind! And made him think that perhaps he was still dreaming. He sneakily pinched himself and realized that everything was not a dream! Buffy was actually doing and saying these things to him! He could not help the goofy smile from plastering on his handsome face at the thought that he was actually gonna get what he wanted most: the girl!

She released him and stood up from the bed, before fixing her hair and readying herself for their upcoming confrontation. He watched as his girl donned her battle look and the strength radiating from her as her determination to succeed that day appeared on her face. Then she held out her hand to help him up.

"Not leaving without my lieutenant in this fight," she told him with a smirk.

"That's what I am now, luv? _Your Second-in-Command?_ What about _Angel_?" he asked, not being able to help himself from trying to find out what feelings his Slayer still had for his poof of a Grandsire. "Shouldn't he be the one with that position? He has been fighting the First along side far longer than I have."

She snorts, before answering him with an irritated tone. "Angel couldn't be my lieutenant even if I had wanted him to, which I so do not want him to be!"

She glared at the vampire, who had been giving her a resigned look which indicated he had been thinking something stupid again about how _Buffy loved Angel more than him._ The glare disappeared as soon as the said vamp stopped moping and realized that he was being a drama king over nothing after noticing the said glare.

He gave her an apologetic look, before she continued, "But anyway, he couldn't be that person because he's just not one to follow orders, especially mine. I mean, ever since he and his team arrived, he's been all with the _Buffy, you should do this, Buffy, you should do that, No, Buffy that's not right because my humongous head cannot for the life of it understand why you'd do such things!_ God, he always treats me like a kid and it's so irritating! He comes to _MY TOWN_ under the pretense of helping me but not once have I noticed his help! Even training the Potentials, he won't lift a finger! Instead he asks his friends to do the job for him! Then he reasons: _I don't want to hurt anyone!_ " She said the last part using her failed imitation of Angel's voice, which almost made Spike laugh because of her cuteness. "Idiot! They need to be hurt to learn! Gah! He annoys me soo much that it makes me wonder what I ever saw in him that made me think he was so perfect! Because for god's sake, he's a real asshole!" She started pacing as she ranted more on Angel's offenses at her. "He's never looked out for me or watched my back. I mean, sure he fought for my cause and helped out in the past. But he never really, really helped out, you know? And now that I think about it, he could've saved me a lot of trouble had he only been more active in protecting me, like he was supposed to be!" She suddenly stopped, her back facing him, as she spoke the next words. "Whistler said that _Angel was supposed to prevent my death by the Master's hands._ He said that he was supposed to help me stop Acathla. He said that he was supposed to keep me safe and assist me in my job. But he was rarely there to help. He stayed in the shadows and did his work there. The only times he would come to help me patrol and do Slayer stuff is when I would ask him! Can you believe that? I had to ask the guy who's job was to assist me to assist me?!"

She was shaking now, though whether it was from anger or frustration, the vampire did not know. He wanted to approach her, to take in his arms and tell her to stop remembering about what his bastard of a Gradsire did to her in the past. But he didn't do that, because he knew his Slayer needed to get this all out before she actually could move on.

 _She needs this._ He told himself as he watched Buffy's shaking form.

" _I blamed myself, you know?_ " He did know. "For everything that happened in the affair with Angelus, for all the things he did as him. All those people he killed? I blamed myself for _every single one of them._ Then I blamed myself for sending Angel to hell and blamed myself for him leaving me. Only now do I realize, I had nothing to do with any of those things! Yes, I had sex with Angel and he lost his soul! But what happened wasn't all on me! He took part of it too! He was part to blame because he had sex with me too! It wasn't all my fault and almost everyone, including him, made it seem that it was! And I simply believed them because I didn't know any better. But now I do." She finally turned to face him. Her eyes glistening from unshed tears. "I now know that I had been letting other people's opinion dictate what I should do with my life, how I should behave,-" She slowly approached and cupped his cheek again. "- _who I should love._.. I let others rule what I should be doing. And it took getting betrayed by my friends and getting kicked out of my own house for me to finally see that, and I see with perfect clarity that Angel is not the guy I want fighting by my side. He's not the guy I want watching my back. _You're that guy, Spike._ And even though, you haven't been fighting with me all these months, you're here when it really counts. You gave me strength when I had none, you inspired me to be better, and I know you'll never betray me as my friends have, _as Angel has._ Because unlike Angel, I know you actually love me for me and not an ideal version of me . _Do you understand?_ " she asked him with uncertainty in her voice.

 _She was afraid_ -afraid, that had he hadn't understood her point because really, conveying how she felt through words was not her thing. She was never the wordy type. That was Spike's thing.

He looked at her with an unreadable expression raising her fear a bit.

"You love me?" he asked, a goofy grin suddenly graced his lips.

She rolled her eyes at that. _Typical, she compliments him and all he got in all that she said was her wanting to love him_. She opened her mouth and was about to tell him to get his head straight. But she stopped herself when she saw the look in his eyes: Sadness and Resignation. Despite the smile, Spike was still expecting her to rebuff his words.

No, she planned not to do that. _Not anymore._ She was serious when she said she planned to give them a try and that meant actually trying to see whether she would fall for him or not.

"I don't know, Spike. But I do know that you are very important to me and I don't want to lose you like I did last year. I also know that you mean more to me than just a friend as I see Willow and Xander. But I don't see you as family, as I do with Giles and Dawn, either. And I most definitely know that _you are not an Angel-replacement_ as a lot of people, especially Angel, would think you are." Her hand left his cheek and she placed it on her heart. "I'm not sure I love you, Spike, but I am sure that you have a place in my heart and I want to explore your part in it as much as possible. I just hope that's enough for you for now."

A gentle smile appeared on his lips. "It's more than enough, Buffy." He approached her and gave her a short peck on her lips. "I think it's enough to get me even more motivated to kick this First's butt faster!" His smile turning into a devious smirk.

Mimicking her vampire, she smirked too. "I think so too."

And with that the couple started their plan to infiltrate the vineyard where Caleb and the rest of First's minions were.

 **(O.O)**

Faith was pissed. She rarely got pissed these days, especially since she joined Spike and his team. She had learned the hard way that losing her temper brought her tons of trouble and so she learned how to control it. But right at that moment, she was forgetting all her Anger Management Learnings and just wanted nothing more than to release the Hulk inside of her at Angel, the annoying vampire wonder!

She stopped for a moment and winced at her obvious comic book references.

 _Dammit, Jonathan, because of your nonstop babble about comic book super heroes I'm now using reference of the Hulk and Robin, the Boy Wonder!_ Then she shook the thought away and gone back to the reason why she was angry enough to start comparing herself to comic book characters in the first place, which was Angel.

The guy was really pissing her off because the bastard just wouldn't stop talking to her about her new job. Ever since the night before, when she had be alone with him, he'd given her lectures about how it was wrong of her to try escape from prison and join Spike's cause, even if the said cause was a good one! He kept telling her that she should've been repenting for her previous sins, not making new ones, even if they are under the Power's command. He just wouldn't stop saying how Spike was not thinking of these things for her and had allowed her to transverse in the path of Darkness instead of Light.

"And exactly how would you know so much of Slayers, vampire, considering you only met two of them in your lifetime?" Rayne's voice cut the vampire off his rant.

"Excuse me?" Angel asked, giving the former Chaos Mage an incredulous look.

"I asked about how you would know so much of Slayers, considering you only met two in your lifetime," Rayne repeated, exasperatedly.

"Why the hell would you want to know?" the vampire asked back.

"Well, you kept going on and on about what Faith the Vampire Slayer is suppose to be doing and what she shouldn't have done, so I was curious to know the extent of your knowledge about Slayers that would give you the right to actually lecture one on what she can and can't do with her life," Ethan explained with a devious glint in his eyes.

"I-I know about them because I was assigned to protect Buffy once," he answered.

"Yes, and from what I heard yesterday, you failed in that task miserably. Hence, why the Powers sent Spike to be her Champion instead of you," he said with a triumphant grin.

Angel looked angrily at the Ex-Chaos Mage.

"Spike is not Buffy's Champion. He's not anyone's Champion. He's a soulless demon who's been nothing but a pain in the ass ever since Drusilla made him a vampire. He's done nothing amazing but try and take things that were not his to take." The tall vampire loomed over the man. "And the only reason the Powers thought him worthy of attention was because I was too busy doing my job as their Champion to take on the smaller stuff they needed to be dealt with, hence why they chose him."

Faith's rage grew even more as he heard these words come from the soulled vampire's mouth.

 _Why, the arrogant bastard!_

She was finally about to lose it and really hit the vampire but Ethan spoke again and stopped her.

"So what you're saying is that Spike wasn't supposed to be the Power's Dark Champion but you are, am I correct?" The vampire opened his mouth to answer but Ethan cut him off as he continued. "So the task of dealing with evil humans and killing them was supposed to be your task but since you were too busy playing hero _in only one city, to travel and save the world across the globe,_ they gave the mission to Spike, who was also busy at the time playing hero at the Hellmouth, is this what you think happened?" Angel eyed the mage warily, he was not liking where the other man was going with this. So again, he opened his mouth to explain to the annoying human what he meant about his earlier statement. "If so then am I correct to assume that you too believe in our mission to kill evil humans, since you are _so sure_ this task was meant for you to begin with?"

"Ye-wait! No! I mean-" came Angel's confusing reply.

"Yes or no? What is your real answer, vampire? Because if it is no, then it means this job was never really meant for you since you would obviously have a hard time doing it, and it also means that Spike really was meant to be a Champion and since he's capable of being a Champion for them then he is also capable of being the Slayer's Champion, am I right? But of course, if you say yes, then it means you are being a hypocritical git towards Faith, who is also part of this mission." This shut Angel up, making Ethan smirk smugly. "Just let this be a lesson to you, vampire, that before you open that enormous mouth of yours make sure that you actually know what you are saying otherwise you'll only end up looking even more stupid than you already look." The spluttered indignantly at the mage, who simply ignored him to turn and face Faith, who was trying hard to control the laughter threatening to escape her lips, and the rest of the Potentials, who had been eavesdropping on their conversations. "Alright, listen up you lot, up ahead is the entrance to the First's weapon's storage unit where the Bringer said they hid that weapon of theirs. This weapon is said to be very important for these bastards and would possibly cause our defeat in this war. Which is why we should expect the enemies to be guarding that place tightly, so you lot all better be prepared for a fierce battle. My only advice to you is to try not to get yourselves killed. It'd be really humiliating on your part to die before the real big fight begins and I highly doubt Heaven will accept you for being pathetic enough to be killed so early on in game." The last part he said earned him a smack in the back of the head by the only Slayer in the group. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For ruining that amazing speech with your insensitivity and coldheartedness, asshole," she told him walking away from him and towards the storage entrance.

"I was being honest!" he exclaimed chasing after her.

The Potentials simply smiled at their antics. In the few short hours they had met the group they had noticed that these short banters and arguments were the group's way to lighten everyone's mood. It was annoying at times but was pretty effective because it temporarily made everyone forget about the upcoming fight they were about to face.

Angel, on the other hand, glowered at the pair. Ever since their group's arrival, he had faced nothing but insolence and insults. They obviously did not respect him and they rarely listened to what he had to say, despite the fact that he was supposed to be the new leader of the team. But most importantly, they had made his troops turn against him by making them follow their command and made him a laughing stock to the Potentials. It was frustrating and angering him to no end!

He was a Champion for god's sake! He shouldn't have to argue his reason for doing something or saying something! He should be listened to and followed without debate! But then Spike's team comes to town and everything changes! It's like everyone thinks that they are so much better than him and that they could actually bring all of them to victory!

 _Yeah, right!_

He knew that any team lead by that stupid vampire was doomed to fail, no matter how strong they were or how fast they were able to defeat some of the First's minions. Spike was just never that good and he would never beat him in anything. That was the way things were and the sooner these idiots realized this the better. He was just waiting for the right moment for Spike and the members of his team to fail so he could tell everyone _I told you so._

The inside of the storage room was dark and empty, thus making Faith and her companions think that perhaps they were in the wrong place.

"No, Amy's map says this is the place the Bringer said they hid the weapon," the Slayer told the doubting Potentials, while nodding at her companion to do a light spell to illuminate the area.

"And exactly how can she be a hundred percent sure anyway? The Bringer wasn't exactly specific on this place's location," Angel pointed out, earning him a glare from the already ticked off Slayer.

 _He's really pushing it._ She thought angrily.

"Yes, it was. It said they built it at the farthest edge of town, and April was able to get this location by hacking into a satellite and found this little underground place. Plus, you read Jonathan's and that other guy, Andrew's, historical report of this area. This place was once an underground arsenal a long time ago, and what better to place to hide a weapon than a weapon holding area?!"

"Well, if they all were really correct about this place, then where is our enemy that's suppose to be guarding this secret weapon?"

But as soon as the words left the vampire's mouth ten Bringers appeared before them and attacked .

It wasn't a hard battle, as they had expected. It only took the group a couple of minutes to finish the battle and brought all Bringers down . The Potentials celebrated their victory while Angel brooded over the possibility that he was proven wrong. But Faith and Ethan shared a silent look.

They knew that the fight had been too easy and because of this, they were beginning to doubt the authenticity of the information.

 _Why would the First not have strong minions guard its supposedly important weapon?_

Ethan nodded at Faith, indicating that they should not pursue this weapon any further. Faith nodded back in agreement before turning to her companions to let them know of their new plan. But before she could tell them about it, a couple of Potentials found a large metal door leading to a deeper part of the storage locker.

"Do you think the weapon is inside?" one of the Potentials with them asked excitedly.

"I wonder what sort of weapon it is," another followed.

Chatter filled the room as they all began to talk about the weapon and their current and future victory against the First. It was only when Faith spoke the unexpected that everyone stopped talking.

"What do you mean we should go back?" a Potential asked.

"I mean, I think that this is a trap and that there is no weapon inside this thing."

"What?! How can you say that?! There were Bringers guarding this thing and we defeated them, isn't that enough to prove the weapon's authenticity?"

"Yeah, should be, only the Bringers guarding it weren't much of a challenge and there was no ubervamp remember? Don't you think that's suspicious? This is supposed to be a weapon that can ensure the First's victory, so why wouldn't it be guarded more heavily?" Faith explained, making some of the Potentials falter in their belief of this secret weapon.

Some because there was one Potential, who thought what Faith was saying was a load of bull, had entered the vault without so much as a word towards their leaders.

"Hey, guys, you all better come and see this!" the Potential, who also happened to be Wilow's new girlfriend, Kennedy, yelled from the inside.

Without thought all the Potentials rushed inside the vault, leaving Faith, Ethan and Angel to call out for them to stay. The three sighed in resignation at the children's stupidity and rashness before following the group inside the vault.

Upon entry they saw what had caught the Potentials' attentions. Inside the vault a large amounts of weapons: swords, daggers, crossbows, stakes and many others, were being stored. It was something that their team were all desperately in need of and they just found a treasury of it.

"Still think it was fake?" asked the arrogant and smug looking Potential.

Faith narrowed her eyes at the young teen, before turning away from her to look around the room and watch the Potentials checking the weapons within the vault.

"Yes," Faith answered now eying the entire vault's area. A terrible feeling was running through her veins. Something bad was gonna happen and she had to get everyone out of it before it happened. "Now, everyone, stop checking the items and let's get out of here!" she told the girls.

"What?! You still want to leave? This isn't obvious enough for you? This place is loaded with weapons to defeat the First! How can you still say this is a trap?" the bratty Potential questioned her.

She glared at the Potential and stomped to approach her. "Because, kid, this place is only filled with ordinary weapons none of which is mystical that is supposed to be so important and dangerous that we all had to find and retrieve! Now shut that mouth of yours and just follow me out of here!" she told the Potential before turning to face the vault's exit.

But before anyone could get out of the vault, it doors suddenly closed shut, locking everyone inside!

Screams resounded inside the vault and panic began to rise throughout its occupants.

"Oh, my god! We're trapped!" one Potential said.

"What are we gonna do?!" another followed.

"This is all your fault Kennedy!" another Potential stated.

"My fault? You were the idiots who came after me!" was the other Potential's angry reply.

"Bitch! You're not even admitting it!" one Potential told the angry Kennedy.

"Fuck you!" was the angry reply.

"We're gonna all die!" a different Potential screamed in panic.

The nonstop chatter irritated Faith making her finally lose her temper and she yelled at everyone in the vault.

"Shut up!" her voice boomed throughout their prison thus silencing everyone. "We are not gonna die," she stated with calmness and conviction. "We are simply trapped here and we can still find a way out, but we can't do that if we keep panicking and arguing amongst ourselves. So stop what you're currently doing and try to find a way to get us out of this place!" she ordered everyone.

"We're not getting out, Faith," Angel's voice echoed behind her.

"Oh, my god! Angel can't you for once just try and listen to me?! I mean, I know that you're so pathetic and jealous of Spike and his team that you've been trying to put us down and make us look bad every chance you get but can't you just stop for one second and act like the fucking Champion you are suppose to be?!" the brunette Slayer exploded, while glaring at the back of the said vampire.

But she was ignored by him, making her falter and wonder what had caught the vampire's attention so much that he barely registered her insulting him.

"Angel?" she called him, but he continued ignoring the Slayer.

"Bloody hell!" Her team mate's cursing was what made the Slayer approach the pair and see what had caught their attention so much that they were ignoring her.

And when she did she finally understood why.

A bomb! There was a live ticking time bomb trapped with them inside the vault! And they only have 15 seconds until its explosion.

"Shit!" she cursed. Panic surging through her. She was not prepared for a bomb! Bombs were not something she'd expect to face on a fight against an ancient mystical enemy! Bombs were modern, man-made and were not supposed to be used to kill her!

 _Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!_

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She stood frozen. She did not know what to do.

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The Potential was right: _They were all gonna die._

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The funny thing was that her only regret was that she hadn't been able to have sex before she went out.

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 **BOOM!**

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 **The End**

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 **Just Kidding...**

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **Hahaha! Made you thought it was the end, didn't I? If I did, hehehe, sorry for the prank, if I didn't, well there is still a next time. Anyway, I know I said this was meant to be a 5 chaptered fic, but the last chapter ended up with 25k+ words and it was too long so I divided it into two or three parts, not certain yet because I haven't reached the epilogue yet, but I have finished writing the fight with the First and all- hehehe, not gonna say more, of course, to prevent spoilers. Anyway, gonna update sometime tomorrow or the day after that.. Solely depends on how busy I'd be. If I'll be too busy, well-updates would have to wait longer. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review, they give me motivation to find time for updating. Again, thank you and hope to see you in again in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Notes:**

Sorry for the late updates. I have really been busy with school, not to mention I have been diagnosed with Depression. Hard times, but I shall not dwell about it. This fic is nearing its conclusion and I hope you guys are still reading it. If so, thank you for your continued support and hope I shall not disappoint. Anyway, here's the new update, enjoy!

Special thanks to my beta, **djellibabe** , for her ever continuing support. Couldn't have done this without you!

 **(O.O)**

Buffy and Spike ran as fast as they could to Faith and her companions' location. After taking the scythe from Caleb and the bastard indicating that he had done something to the other Slayer's group, they immediately knew they had to get to them fast.

After getting the location from April, via Spike's mental walky-talky-thingy, they entered the underground arsenal and immediately noticed the unconscious forms of the Potentials at its entrance.

"Hey, hang in there!" Buffy told the young woman as she sat beside her and inspected the girl's injuries.

The Slayer noticed with relief that the Potential's injuries were not that bad, a couple of bruises here and there but there were no visible indications of fatal or permenent injuries. She looked around and saw that the other Potentials were also waking up and took notice that they too had similar minor injuries.

"Buffy?" the Potential that she was siting beside called out her attention. "Is that you?"

She stared down at the young red haired Potential.

 _Vi!_ She remembered.

That was the girl's name, one of the few Potential whose name she actually did remembered.

"Yeah, it's me, Vi." She gently smiled at the young woman. "Can you stand up, and tell me what happened?" she asked.

The Potential looked around the room confusedly. "We were in the vault filled with weapons. We got locked in, then there was a bomb and an explosion!" She alarmingly looked around the room again before confusion once again settled in. "I-I don't get it. Why are we out here and alive?" The young Potential looked at her as if she held the answer to that question.

"I think I know the answer to that question," a familiar voice of a man echoed behind the two.

"Angel," Buffy called eying the vampire with a unreadable expression.

"Buffy," the vampire called her back, only he held more emotion in his voice. He was happy to see her, more than he cared to admit, and he was glad that she came back for them, for him.

"Well?" She stood up and crossed her arms as she waited for him to answer.

"Well, what?" was his dumb reply.

She rolled her eyes at his stupid answer before clarifying her question. "Well, what happened? You said you knew the answer to it. So?"

"Oh!" Angel said realizing what the Slayer meant and sounding disappointed about her distant behaviour with him. "Well-we're alive thanks to what that Ethan guy did. He cast a spell around us that teleported us outside the vault and back here in the entrance. But the explosion still occurred so some of us still suffered from the blast."

Once again Buffy sighed in relief upon hearing this wonderful news. This trap was meant to kill the members of her team and their enemies would've succeeded had the members of Spike's team not been there to save the day. For once since she had been called, she thanked the Powers for their ingenious plan to send the said team to aid them in their fight. So far, they had all proven quite useful to them, with their advance technology and superior skills in fighting and magic. She didn't have anymore qualms of who composed the members of the said team.

As long as they can help keep her people safe and alive, she didn't care if she was fighting alongside the devil himself.

She then looked around to search for the heroes that were responsible for keeping her girls safe and noticed that they weren't there with them. In fact, she belatedly noticed that the vampire she had come in with was also not among the group. So she walked ahead and searched for them and was able to find the group within the destroyed insides of what she assumed was the vault her girls were trapped in. She gasped at the sight she saw.

Inside, Spike and Faith were sitting side by side the unconscious form of Ethan Rayne, who she saw had severe burns on most parts of his body, and were doing CPR on him. Spike was busy compressing the man's chest while Faith blew air in to his lungs.

Buffy's heart broke for the two as they tried their hardest to revive their friend. She flinched as she listened to the pain that resonated in the couple's voices as they called out for their comrade and tried encouraging him in their own unique way to come back to them.

"Dammit! Rayne, you bastard, wake up!" Spike screamed, as he strongly pumped the man's chest. "You're not allowed to die! That's an order, you stupid sod!"

"Come on, you cold hearted asshole, you're too much of jerk to die like this, idiot!" Faith said in between breathing in takes of air and breathing them inside of Ethan. Tears were running down her face as she continued on with her efforts to revive their fallen comrade. "Come on, Rayne." **Blows air.** "Come on!" **Inhales air and blows it into Ethan.** "Please, you selfish bastard, wake up!" she begged as she held Ethan's half burned face in her hands. "Wake up or I swear I'll fucking shave that head of yours and let April set you up on a fucking date! You hear me? April and I are gonna hook you up with some obsessive and unhygienic chick with a thing for older British dudes, if you don't wake the hell up, heartless piece of shit!"

Spike simply kept pumping the man's chest but the strength of his pumps were slowly weakening as he was beginning to accept the inevitable.

Tears were falling down his face too as he weakly hammered the man's chest."Dammit! You weren't suppose to die before me, you ponce. You were suppose to bloody find a way to break my bloody hold on you, you useless git! You said you were going to kill me and go back to being a Chaos mage, remember? How are you gonna do that if you're dead, you wanker? So wake the bloody hell up!" His fisted hand gave the body one last blow before he finally gave up and accepted the horrible truth. "Ethan, please... wake up..." he begged one last time, though he knew it was useless.

 _He had already lost one member of his team._

He and his demon let out an agonizing scream that echoed throughout that place.

Almost every Potential who had witnessed the scene were reduced to tears as they all felt the vampire and the brunette Slayer's pain.

Even Buffy, who was always a tough bitch since they met her, was crying at the sight of the man, who had comforted her and given her strength the night before, being in more pain than she had been and she had no idea what to do. She wanted to run and comfort him, to take him in her arms and wish the pain away, and she would've had a voice she had thought she'd never hear again not spoken and stopped her.

"If I had known dying was all it took for you to lower that guard of yours like this, I'd have done it ages ago, vampire," the voice, that came from the supposedly dead mage, croaked, surprising everyone in the room. "Too bad I'm too worn out to do even the simplest fire spell or you'd be in serious trouble." A half smirk appeared on the unburned part of the man's face before it changed in to a pained expression. "Bloody hell, it hurts all over. I think I'm now regretting not dying."

"Well, you're just gonna keep regretting, you git, because there is no way I'm letting you go back to whatever hell you've been." Spike grinned down on his team mate.

"He's right, you bastard. After this stupid stunt, you're gonna be stuck with us for a very longer time!" Faith said, her eyes still brimming with the tears she shed moments earlier.

"Bugger! I should've stayed dead then! Hell would've been kinder than you lot," the man groaned earning him a chuckle from his two companions.

"Ooh, I'm sure we can make you're life something similar to hell, can't we Faith?" Spike grinned at the dark haired Slayer, who returned it in kind.

"Yeah, we can. If not-well, I'm sure April and Amy can think of something."

"Or Jonathan and his comic book references?"

"Good heavens! Anything but that!" the mage said mockingly, before grunting in pain. Yup, he was feeling the burns at that moment. "Bloody hell!" he screamed.

"Suck it up a while longer, mate. We'll get you back to Amy and she'll fix you up right and proper," the vampire told his injured friend, before he started to pull him up.

But the moment he lifted the mage up, pain filled the poor guy's body. Another scream filled the air and Ethan fell unconscious.

"Bugger. Sorry, mate," Spike apologized, while he adjusted his hold on the mage. Faith attempted to help him but he shook his head and told her to help the girls she had brought with her, after all, some were injured as well.

While Faith rounded up the Potentials and inquired of the status of their injuries, Buffy approached Spike and asked if she could help him carry the mage. The vampire gave her a gentle smile and nodded his approval. The blond Slayer attempted to take the unconscious man's other arm but she hesitated. There were a lot of burns visible on that part of him and she feared aggrivating them further than they already were.

As if reading her mind, Spike spoke to reassure her.

"Don't worry, luv. Whatever injuries you'd cause, Amy, will be able to fix it when we get him to her. And as for him feeling pain while you help, well-you don't have to worry about that . Not only because he's unconscious so he won't be able to feel much pain at the moment, but also because I have placed a barrier in his mind that will limit the pain he feels so whether you wake him up or he wakes up on his own on our way back, he still won't feel much pain. I could stop him from feeling pain altogether but this is the best I can do with the kind of blood bond we have," he explained.

Confusion was evident on the Slayer's face upon hearing his explanation.

"Blood bond?" Buffy asked while she gently took Rayne's other arm.

"Oh, right! Knowing you and Rupert, you two must have never talked about a vampire's human minions and the effects of a blood bond."

"Vampire's Human Minions? Is that something like the thrall thing Dracula did to Xander that made him obey his commands?"

A growl escaped Spike as he heard his rival's name.

"No! They're not the same bloody thing! Dracula's thrall or any kind of thrall is only temporary and can easily be broken! A blood bond is eternal and almost unbreakable. Almost because it can only be broken when one or both the vampire and the human dies."

"And you share such a bond with all the members of your team?" she asked, a frown crossing her face. She didn't like the idea of someone sharing something so special with her vampire.

 _There are three women in his team and if he does have this kind of bond with them-there will be hell to pay!_ She promised herself as she waited for the vampire to answer.

"No, of course not! I only shared this bond with Rayne over here because I knew the bastard wouldn't have joined my team and help save the world willingly. So when I recruited him, I created the bond with him by drinking his blood and sharing some of mine. It's a bit like turning him into a vampire, only without the lack of pulse and the need to drink blood," he explained as they started walking out of the vault. "Using this method I have a great hold over Rayne and if he'd do anything funny I can simply use my bond to control him. Although, as time went by, I didn't have to do any such thing as the bastard seemed to have started enjoying what we do, although there'd be no way the bastard would admit this."

Buffy sighed in relief upon hearing that Spike wasn't bonded with anyone but Ethan. Then she smiled as she heard him regale on what he had forced the chaos mage to do under his control. It should disgust her, this blood bond thing, because simply the thought of vampires having the ability to control humans against their will, but she just wasn't. Contrary to it, she was really curious of this bond thing. Spike said that the bond can go both ways and it can connect a vampire and a humans in a very intimate and special way. He said that the bonded pair would belong to one another and both will always be close to the other even if they are worlds apart. This caught Buffy's attention.

If she can be connected to Spike in such a way, she wouldn't miss him when he'd be doing his thing, travelling around the world and saving people and stopping apocalypses. It sounded really nice to her. She was beginning to think that this is one of the good things she'd like to discuss with the vampire after this battle with the First ended.

As Buffy and Spike walked out of the vault their heard a loud commotion outside. They hurriedly went out to check out what had caused it while dragging Ethan's body with them only to find out that the cause of the commotion had been Kennedy and Faith, who had the Potential cornered to the wall with her blade pointed at the young woman's throat. A surprise gasp came out of Buffy's mouth.

"Faith!" Angel called the brunette's Slayer's attention. But she paid him no mind and it angered the soulled vampire. "Faith, stop this! This was not something a Slayer should do, threatening her-"

"Who said anything about _threatening_ , Angel?" she asked him, not turning her attention from the Potential. "I don't threaten, man. I do what I want and what I want is to punish little Miss-Know-it-all here for her stupidity that almost caused everyone, especially my friend, to die today. I'm thinking a little scar on her bitchy little face will work so nicely. Don't you think?" she asked the last part to the Potential.

"Fuck you, you crazy bitch! You're suppose to be a Slayer! Why the hell are you doing this?" she asked trying to look strong and unaffected with what was happening but the fear in her eyes told a different story and Faith smiled sadistically at the sight.

 _Good, be afraid little girl. Be very afraid. No one messes with me and my own and gets away with just a slap on the wrist._ She thought as she glared at the young woman in front of her.

"Why? Let's see if I can remind you." She placed the tip of the blade on her neck, her sadistic smile in place. "You _disobeyed my commands_ and _nearly got everyone killed_. You insult me and some of your teammates and finally you had the nerve _to blame me and my team for leading you to this trap when I was the one who said that we shouldn't go any further with the plan to explore this place._ I told everyone to retreat but _what do you do?_ You entered and fell right into the trap! And you have the audacity _to say that it was my fault?!_ That Rayne nearly died because of me? Stupid little girl!" She suddenly stabbed the blade on the wall besides Kennedy's head making the Potential and everyone there jump in surprise. "So you ask me why I am doing this? Why I want to punish you? Well, I'm doing this because it is justice and it'll serve you just right to endure what I give you because of what you did to Ethan." The tip of her blade again pointed at the Potential, this time it drew closer to her neck. "Jut pray you survive after I am done with you."

"Faith don't!" Angel cried approaching the brunette Slayer to stop her but it was too late, with a swift movement Faith slashed the Potential's face from her chin to her cheek bone.

Screams filled the air and Angel pulled Faith away from the Potential, who was screaming and bleeding at what had been done to her, and slammed the Slayer to the wall.

"What the fuck, Faith?! Why would you do that?!" he asked her.

"Justice, Angel. She deserved it for being an arrogant bitch and for what happened to Rayne," was her cold answer. "Now let me go before I show you my own brand of Justice for what you've been doing since we got here."

The look the Slayer gave him startled the vampire and scared him. It was a look that Slayer's usually directed on demons they killed. Being on the receiving end of it didn't sit well with him causing him to release the Slayer and take a step back away from her.

Faith adjusted her clothes and looked around the occupants in the room. They all looked scared at her but she didn't care. She wasn't there to coddle them or to be their friend. She was there to make sure they all survived and stopped the world from ending. They all needed to know and understand this. Her team was created to save the world and maintain the Balance between Good and Evil by whatever means necessary, and she wasn't gonna let a bratty little girl ruin that by her stupidity and arrogance. She wasn't gonna stand by while that said little girl or anyone like her got her way and got her and her teammates killed. She just wasn't gonna let them do that.

 _They can insult us, judge us, and even distrust us, but they are not allowed to let those things get in the way of them getting the job done!_

So that's why she showed them her true colours. She showed them that they weren't as kind and understanding as Buffy and the rest of the heroes they knew. She showed them that she wasn't gonna take shit from them and she wasn't gonna let mistakes like this go without punishment.

 _Brat's lucky I was the one she had to deal with than the rest of the team._ She thought as her attention turned to the screaming and crying Kennedy.

She approached the girl again, only this time she was met with anger and fear.

"Don't touch me!" the Potential screamed.

"Shut up, brat, and raise your head and let me see the wound," she ordered her.

"A wound you caused," she snarked but did as what she was told, fearing to get another scar if she didn't.

Faith ignored what she said and simply inspected the injury. It was still bleeding and was indeed very deep. In fact, she was sure it will leave a scar once it healed, which was what she wanted in the first place. Then she chanted and a blue light surrounded the Potential's face. Once the light disappeared, the bleeding had stopped the only thing left was a deep scar on the girl's face.

"There, all done," she said and backed away from the teen and turning once again to face the rest of the group.

"What did you do?" she asked the Slayer.

"I hastened the healing process and closed up the wound. Now all you have left is that scar, which shall remind you not to be rash and always follow the orders of your betters."

The fear she felt for the Slayer disappeared and only anger filled the Potential's heart. She was humiliated, mutilated and shall be forced to wear the reminder of her sin to be looked at and insulted in public. She had never felt so angry in her life and all because of some bitch skank who thought she could do this to her just 'cause she's a Slayer like Buffy. Well, fuck her!

With a roar she charged at Faith, a dagger in her hand, to kill the crazy bitch and to make her pay for what she had done to her. And she would've succeeded if she hadn't been stopped by the other vampire in the group.

Spike placed a tight grip on the girl's wrist that was holding the dagger, and another on her neck. His face had shed its human appearance.

" _Naughty little girl._ Didn't your mother ever tell you that it is bad to stab people in the back?"

"Let me go, vampire!" she said struggling.

"Ooh, I will, but only after you hear what I have to say," he whispered close enough to her ear that his fangs almost grazed the skin. "See, pet, Faith was quite lenient with you. A scar in the face? That's nothing compared to what we usually do to people who are like you: arrogant ones who think they are better than others. We usually make them suffer before we kill them. And before you say that we are the good guys, let me just inform you that we are the kind of white hats that kill our bad guys, who are in fact humans. We have no qualms ending the lives of humans who we all think deserve to be ended and who get in the way in our mission, and what you did had really put you in league with those humans on our hit list. Your arrogance nearly killed my teammates and had they died, we would've failed our mission which means you got in the way of our work. Hence, why in all honesty, you deserve to be killed. But Faith didn't do that. She merely gave you a scar, you should be grateful for it and not attempted to kill her, because if it had been me who you did those things to? I would've drained you faster than you can say uncle. So don't forget it, little girl." He released the Potential and went back to Buffy, who was busy carrying Ethan's full weight on her own.

The original Slayer simply watched the exchange, her face had an unreadable expression. She didn't look angry about what happened nor did she look happy about it. She simply eyed the vampire, nodded to him and adjusted her hold on the unconscious man on her shoulders to give him room to take the man's other arm, before telling everyone to move on and hurry so they can get back to her house. The rest of the Potentials simply followed her, fearing that they too might anger the brunette Slayer since it seemed that the blond one didn't really care about them, which they couldn't really blame her for it considering they kicked her out of her own house the night before.

 **(O.O)**

The Scoobies all waited patiently in the Summers' living room for news of their companions. No one had contacted them since they left earlier that day and they were all worried, more so was that they also learned that Buffy had gone back to the vineyard with only Spike for back up. After the conversations that occured the night before they all realized just how unfair they were to their Slayer. Yes, she had been too hard on them and yes, she seemed to always be so cold and uncaring when it came to those who had died during these past few months. But this was her way of coping, her way of showing to everyone that she was not afraid and that she could protect them. It had been her way to show her strength, but they hadn't understood. They hadn't cared because she wasn't only doing that to the Potentials but to them too, her supposed friends.

Only when Dawn told them of Buffy's true feelings had they realized why she acted that way towards them. She had resented each and everyone of them and had stopped trusting them to give her strength to face the enemies. Buffy no longer saw them as the people she could rely on when she needed to be weak or when she needed to rest because they all at one point over the year had stopped doing that to her unconsciously, so she too stopped depending on them. It hurt to think that all this time they had been with her they never noticed the real distance of their relationship with their Slayer until they all decided she was not good enough to lead them.

Last night, they did the ultimate betrayal and it only served to prove their unworthiness to their Slayer. Last night was the first time in a long time had they seen Buffy truly need them but they all turned their backs on her without blinking an eye. It was harsh and evil of them, but not as evil as the thought that someone had to point out their mistakes before they realized the wrongness of what they did. Had Whistler or Spike and company not come last night, they all knew they would've continued to justify their actions and not think of the badness

of their actions. Their only hope now was to make amends with their Slayer, if she survived her mission in the vineyard with Spike, and do better by her, if she would allow them.

The door burst opened and several Potentials entered the house. The Scoobies all stood up to greet them but gasped at the sight of Ethan Rayne's half burned body on Faith and Buffy's arms.

"Amy!" Faith cried out, "Get down here now!"

"Move!" Buffy ordered them as they slowly laid Ethan on the couch.

"Wha-what happened?" Giles asked looking worriedly at his old time frienemy. He and Ethan may have had their differences in the past but he and Giles had history. They were friends once upon a time and after last night he had thought that it was possible to renew that friendship.

"It was a trap, and we fell right into it because of a certain someone." She glared at Kennedy, making everyone stare at the now scarred faced Potential. "Anyway there was a bomb and Rayne here, the idiot, teleported everyone but himself out. Most likely to control the bomb's explosions from the inside so its blast wouldn't kill those of us who were outside. Stupid bastard," Faith explained as she eyed her friend.

"Oh, my god!" Amy's voice echoed from the living room's entryway. "Mr. Rayne, are you alright?!" she asked as she hurriedly knelt beside the man.

"He's fine, Aim, Spike put him into some painless and dreamless state to prevent him from suffering even further," Faith informed.

"Speaking of which, where is he and dead boy senior? Please tell me they got killed on the way here," Xander joked, trying to lightened the mood, only to earn him glares from the teams of both vampires.

"Sorry to disappoint, Xan, but no, they didn't get killed. Actually, I'm certain that they are on their way here. We had to separate because we came here from above while Spike and Angel went underground to avoid Mr. Sun," Buffy answered coldly. It angered her that her _friend_ was talking in such way to the vampire who was the only reason she came back to that house.

Xander flinched at her tone. It hurt him that his Slayer was acting this way towards him, but he really couldn't blame her for it either. He had put his foot in his mouth again after all.

 _But they really shouldn't blame me for it! Old habits die hard after all!_

Of course he knew that that didn't absolve his transgressions towards _his allies._

He looked apologetically at Buffy, only to be ignored by her.

Because instead of looking at Xander and seeing his repentant look, she had turned to address Amy instead.

"Spike said that he had to put him under because he was in a lot of pain after they were able to revive him earlier."

"Revive?! You mean he died?" The brunette witch asked looking quite alarmed at the news.

"Yeah, but he's okay now," Faith tried to say calmly. "Just make sure you heal all his injuries and I am sure he'll be safe. You can do that, right?" She eyed her witch teammate pleadingly.

"I'll try my best, Faith," was all the brunette witch said, sensing that her friend was still shaken by what happened. After that she focused her attention to the man lying on the couch. She then chanted and a red light surrounded her body moving towards Ethan's .

Everyone, except Faith, gasped once more when they saw the burns slowly disappearing from the injured mage.

"Amazing," Willow whispered admiringly as she watched the other witch do the spell, while failing to notice the jealousy that was emitted by her now scarred faced girlfriend.

The redhead had never seen anything like it before. A healing spell that was healing at the rate Amy's was doing was downright impossible, at least that was what the witches in the coven that she went to in England had said. But after seeing the witch before her do such a spell with such ease, it made Willow slightly jealous of the other woman and at the same time it made her admire her even more. She thought back on the Amy she was friends with a year ago and remembered how the woman was as addicted to magic as she was, if not a bit more than her. Yet it seemed that the way that the other witch had recovered from her addiction surpassed her more because at least Amy was confident with her skills and actually knew how to control herself, rather than let her magic control her, unlike Willow who was afraid of her own magic and of going off the rails again.

The brunette was able to do better for herself and for others, unlike her who hadn't been much help to anyone besides in the research department. She wanted to be like Amy and stop being scared of herself. She wanted to help people like Amy was doing with her magic and not be the controlling little witch she had been before. She wanted to change and actually change for the better and not be stuck in the past and of her guilt that had led her to limit her own power. And most of all she wanted to be helpful to Buffy again, like she had been before and like Amy is to her team. She thought back on what happened the night before and realized that part of the reason why she turned against Buffy was because she was always feeling useless during battle. Other than being research girl, she wasn't doing any major spells and if she was, like that portal thingy, she always did something horrible, like steal power from Kennedy without her permission, which was why she altogether avoided being her witchy little self. And because of this avoidance she felt useless to Buffy. It didn't help that her bestfriend didn't rely on her either in the bestfriend department as of late and didn't turn to her when she felt that she was getting overwhelmed by all the problems. It was because of all these things that she wanted Buffy to stop being the leader for once and be just be Buffy so that she'd stop having to think she can help her with something without using her powers. _If Buffy wasn't being their General then she could just be her bestfriend, then Willow would at least be able to help her._

At least that was what she thought.

 _But Buffy didn't need me for that._

She didn't need someone to be her bestfriend in such a way. What she needed were friends who did stick up for her, who fought beside her, and who used everything they had in them to help her win the fight. A fight that was more important than their friendship. A fight that would determine the fate of the universe. But she was so petty and childish and, like always, she wanted Buffy to be someone she was not. She wanted Buffy to be someone that the Slayer obviously didn't want to be and when she couldn't force her to be that someone-she turned on her.

Her heart clenched at all these realizations. She was truly a very wicked person and she truly didn't deserve to have Buffy for a friend. She didn't deserve being anyone's friend. She-

A gentle hand touched her shoulder, startling her and making her look towards its owner. She was surprised to see that it was Amy's hand that had been placed there. Amy, who had just finished healing Ethan Rayne, was comforting her. She looked at the couch and was surprised to see that Spike, who hadn't entered the house with Buffy, Faith and the Potentials earlier, was already there and was checking on his mage companion. She looked back to Amy, who she was giving her that gentle and supportive smile that was too much of a painful reminder of her Tara, and gave her a confused look that seemed to ask: " _why are you comforting me?_ ".

"You looked like you needed it," she answered. "Willow, you need to stop being hard on yourself. If there is anything Spike taught me during my time with him and the team, it is that what we did in the past should not get in the way of who be are in the present or who we will become in the future. You want to be a better friend? A better person? Then stop all this negative thinking and start changing. Nothing will happen if you keep on dwelling in the past. Move forward and try to be better now. Prove you are someone worthy of all the gifts given to you, Will. And when you do, you will finally be able to be the kind of person worthy of the friendship of those who always stuck by you."

And after that, Spike called her attention and she was once again put to work with helping out in patching up the rest of the Potentials who were with Faith. But Willow had already gotten the message of what she meant and planned to actually put the advice in to action.

"Buffy?" she called out to the Slayer, who was standing on the sidelines and was watching as Spike was giving orders to everyone about assisting in taking care of the injured Potentials as well as transferring Ethan upstairs.

"Take him to my room," Buffy said, thus getting Xander and Gunn's help for the transfer, before turning to face the redhead with a stoic expression. Willow could not help but flinch at the sight. "What do you want, Willow?" she asked, her tone neutral and showed no indication of how she felt about her.

"I-I just wanted to say that I am glad you came back-"she started.

"Not like I had much of a choice, what with the world ending and all," she said and cut the witch off from what she was going to say.

Again, she flinched at the other's cold words. But she didn't let it deter her from finishing her speech.

"I know, which is why I am happy you're back and sorry about what happened last night. Buffy, I-"

"Not now, Will," she said again cutting off her friend's speech, making the redhead feel bad again for herself. She should've expected Buffy wasn't gonna forgive her. Dawn had said that she hated them for what they have been doing to her all these years, and last night would've been the last straw for her friend. "Later," the Slayer suddenly said in a very soft tone that she nearly missed it. "We'll talk later when everything is less apocalyptic and we don't have all these young girls to protect. But for now? Let's focus on the job at hand, okay?"

Her eyes widened when she heard it and happiness swelled in her heart.

 _She's not turning her back on us! We still have a chance to make things right!_

She smiled and waited for Buffy to make an order or do something. She instead saw her gesture at Giles and her to follow her upstairs. They reached the master bedroom, which had become Willow's room again, and closed the door before they all began talking.

"I took it from Caleb. It might be important," she told them, "Do you think you two can find out why?"

Giles looked taken aback at her question and the trust she was placing on them despite what happened the night before. But he easily composed himself.

"Of course," he answered taking the said weapon aand started inspecting it. "This is quite an ingenious weapon."

"Kills strong bodies three ways," the Slayer replied approvingly.

"Can you sense something when you hold it?" the redhead asked as she too did her own inspection of the weapon.

"Yeah. Not much but it's strong. And I knew it belonged to me. I just knew it," Buffy answered staring intently at the weapon in the witch's hands.

Giles took the weapon again and inspected it for the second time.

"So in addition to it being ancient, it's clearly mystical," Giles pointed out.

"Yeah, I figured it out when I King Arthured it out of the stone."

"So maybe it's some kind of traditional Slayer weapon," Willow suggested.

"I can't imagine how something like this could exist without my having heard of it," Giles stated.

Buffy snorted. "Well, the good guys are not traditionally known for their communication skills," she said off handedly. But her listeners flinched at the hidden meaning of that statement.

After clearing his throat, Giles sat on the bed. "Right. Um-any chance that it might be something other than a tool for killing things?"

The Slayer shrugged, before answering "The First's guys clearly wanted it out of that stone. It's not just a tool. It's important. We need to find out whatever we can. Who made it, when, why? Does it have a name? I don't know, a credit report? Just find out and fast," she told the pair before moving towards the door.

"We'll start work immediately," Giles promised while gathering a couple of books from Willow's collection.

"Yeah, don't worry, Buff. We'll find out everything there is to know," Willow followed as she grabbed hold of her laptop to start researching.

Buffy merely nodded in approval before informing them that she was going to go downstairs to check on the others. She turned away from them after that and missing the sad look the couple gave her. When she left the room, Willow spoke to Giles.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive us?" she asked the old Watcher, who simply sighed and began cleaning his glasses.

"We can only hope, Willow. But for now, let's focus on what she wants us to do."

The redhead nodded before donning her infamous resolve face.

 _Giles' right. I need to focus on the now. I need to focus on helping Buffy before trying to find ways to get in her way by trying to apologize to her._

And with that, the two began their research.

 **(O.O)**

Buffy walked towards the kitchen, where she assigned Spike and his team to do a different research regarding the ways to defeat the First, to check on the group and to inform their leader of her team's progress in terms of finding out about the origins of the weapon, or the Scythe, that she took from Caleb. Andrew, out of all people, was the one who found out about it and she was planning to do a little reconnaissance in the area and had planned to invite the said leader of the other group with her. But when she got there she was surprised to see that only the researchers of the team were present in room.

"Where's Spike and Faith?" she asked.

"They went back to the arsenal to loot the place," Jonathan answered her, not taking his eyes away from the book he was reading.

"Loot?" she repeated, not understanding why on Earth those two would return to that place.

"Yeah, loot. We're not really rich, Buffy, and the Powers aren't exactly the most generous of bosses we've had the pleasure to work with. We actually don't get funded for what we do. So we usually loot our enemies for what they are worth, and either sell what we find or use them for ourselves," Amy explained.

"It's why I have such amazing upgrades!" April followed, taking her eyes off her laptop. "We were able to loot some very rich man who wanted to use his technology to start Armageddon. Anyway, Spike and Faith went back to that place to see if they can salvage anything there that would be worth selling!" After her explanation the bot went back to what she was doing on the computer.

Buffy wasn't sure how to feel about that. _Looting their enemies for what they are worth? Sounds like something a villain would do and not Champions for good._

Jonathan must've seen the conflict in the her eyes and he tried to make her understand their situation better.

"I know, it's not a really good guy thing to do, but we have to make ends meet afterall, Buffy. It's kind of hard to fight the forces of evil without cash in our hands. We need money for ingredients for Amy and Ethan's spells, April's updates, not to mention Spike's blood supply, and that doesn't even include our travel money. We move around the globe and we have to pay to get from one place to another. This was the only solution we found for our money problems, you know? Unless of course we asked for cash payments from those we helped, which we don't because there'd be no sense helping people if we just took money for it, right?"

 _Well if he put it like that, it did sort of makes sense. Looting the bad guys of their treasures does seem better than asking the helpless for money. So I guess there is logic in what they do._

"Yeah, I think I get it now. Although did they have to do the looting now? Couldn't they have done it after we finished defeating the First?" she asked, only earning a shrug from the people in front of her.

"Now is just as good as any, besides, it's not like they have anything they had to do. If you haven't noticed yet, Faith and Spike are not exactly the research types. So they were bored out of their minds trying to help us. So they decided to go and do some looting. Plus this is the Hellmouth, a lot of looters live here and if they'd have waited until we finished fighting off this apocalypse, there'd be nothing left to loot."

"They went looting? That's kind of dangerous and very reckless of them," a new voice joined the conversation from behind the Slayer. The members of the group including Buffy turned to face the newcomer, which they learned was actually Angel.

"What do you mean by " _reckless of them_ "?" Amy asked as her eyes narrowed at Angel.

She was getting easily irritated at the tall vampire. Ever since they had got here their actions were continuously scrutinized by the group. She would've understood the actions had Whistler not told the group of their intentions quite thoroughly but he had and they still were suspicious of them. Most especially the tall vamp. Amy was really getting annoyed at the questioning and the blatant display of distrust from the so called Champion of the People, and if the vampire were to continue he would very later on find himself with a very long tail in his behind, courtesy of the brunette witch.

"I mean, we are at war, they shouldn't be going out in their own for such selfish reasons. Something could happen to them while they are out. They could get hurt and we are not there to save them," Angel, noticing the witch's animosity, stated carefully.

"They don't need saving, man. If you weren't watching them yesterday, then let me simply tell you that they can take care of themselves just fine. Spike and Faith are really strong, nothing's gonna happen to them," Jonathan said proudly.

"Just because they are strong, doesn't mean that they can't get hurt. Something could still happen to them while they are out their on their own," Angel pointed, again earning glares from his Grandchilde's teammates.

"Okay, he has a point," Buffy said, surprising everyone in the room. "No matter how strong they are, mistakes still happen, and we can't afford such mistakes to happen. Better safe than sorry, guys. So we need to call them back." She then turned to the brunette witch. "Amy, can you do that mind thingy and call back Faith and Spike and tell them to come back?"

The brunette was startled at first, before panic crossed her features. "Umm, sorry, Buffy, but I can't," the witch replied hastily.

"What?! Why? Are you still recovering from all those spells you did earlier?" she asked worriedly. It wouldn't do them any good if one of their best magic users would be put out of commission. They already lost one of them from the First's trap, they couldn't afford to lose one more, especially if they are from Spike's very dependable group.

"Oh, no! I am fine! I can very much still do spells and I haven't exhausted all my magic yet," Amy hurriedly said.

"Then why can't you call them back?" the Slayer asked in confusion.

"I'm not saying that I can't do it because I can't do the spell but more because I don't want to do it." A blush appeared at the young woman's cheeks.

Buffy became suspicious after seeing it.

 _What the heck is she blushing about?_

"Why don't you want to do it anyway, Amy?" she pursued, her eyes narrowing at the witch.

"Umm-well, you see, I learned my lesson not to call both of them when they are together," she said hurriedly, blushing even more heavily.

"Not to call them when they are together? Amy, what are you trying to say? Why are you afraid to call them when they are together?"

"Oh, just tell her already!" Jonathan yelled, "It's not that hard to say that you once called Spike and Faith while they were doing heavy monkey sex and you became accidentally linked to them while both climaxed and you ended up soiling your panties because you did the same thing too because of the emotional connection!"

"Jonathan!" Amy cried. She was being careful not to reveal that particular embarrassment of hers, it angered her that the nerd shared it to the two strangers in the group. She stood up electricity sparking in her fingers. "There is such as thing called confidentiality, you little nerd! You're not supposed to tell anyone about what happened!"

Jonathan immediately stood up to get away from the angry witch and her sparking hands. Books fell as the two began running around the kitchen.

"Come back here, you nasty weasel!" Amy called after the short man who had escaped towards the living room where the Scoobies and team AI were doing their own research.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"Stop it, you two!"

Screams indicating an obvious commotion happening in the living room area were loudly heard, but Buffy wasn't really paying attention to what was happening around her. Her entire mind was on a stop ever since she heard of Spike and Faith having heavy monkey sex. Her head was running a lot of scenarios of what the two were doing at that moment and none of those scenarios she liked in any way. It didn't take long for anger to fill her heart as she thought of the peroxide vampire.

So much for wanting to give us a chance! I turn my back on the asshole for one minute and he immediately runs to do a quicky with his whore, little Miss Slutty Slayer number two. Ooh, if I ever find him I am gonna show him just what happens when idiots put their dicks first before an apocalypse! I'm gonna make him regret-

"Buffy?" Angel's voice brought her out of her reverie and mental plan of committing murder, "Are you okay?" he asked her concern evident in his voice.

Buffy looked up to him and immediately shook away her worries and anger for the certain bleached haired vampire. It would do her and everyone no good to if she became distracted because of Spike's uncontrollable libido and stupidity. She had a job to do and since the idiot wasn't around to help her with it and was obviously busy playing hooky, she decided to do it alone.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Angel," she told him curtly, before turning to face April, who was still busy using her laptop and hadn't even been fazed at the earlier commotion. "Hey, April, if Spike or Faith do come back, tell them to stay here and not to wander anymore. Angel's right, we are at war, they shouldn't be doing reckless things that could hurt them and yes, no matter how strong they are they can still slip up and bad things can still happen to them," she told the robotic woman.

"Very well, Buffy! I shall inform them of what you said. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, nothing else at the moment," she answered while making her way towards the living room, where a slightly singed Jonathan and a very irritated looking Amy were busy getting reprimanded by Giles.

"Guys," she called out everyone's attentions, "I'm going out to investigate this tomb Andrew found that had info on the scythe. I want you all to continue researching. I'll come back as soon as I can when I get the information I need."

She simply went to the living room table, took the scythe with her before turning around and walking towards the front door while paying no mind everyone's objections. They all lost their rights to tell her what to do the moment they threw her out of her house. So she ignored them and left the house alone into the the slowly dimming world outside.

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

And that's it for now! Again nearing the conclusion and I thank you all for your support. Hopefully I can update soon. And I also hope you guys will leave a review. It shall be greatly appreciated, like _greatly_! Thanks again and see you in the next chapter! Bye for now!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Notes:**

Another chapter, and as always, I hope you enjoy this one. It has a lot of Angel bashing added to the mixed but I made sure it was done in a way that didn't sound too over the top while I did it. But if it was, sorry. Or if you are an Angel fan, sorry too. Anyway, here it is, and again, hope you enjoy it...

Special thanks to my beta, **djellibabe** , she has helped me a lot in this fic and couldn't have done it without her. Also want to wish her a belated happy birthday to her, since I couldn't get her anything else other than to tell it to her in one of my fics... So yeah, belated happy birthday, and may you have more birthdays to come!

 **(O.O)**

 _It was a stupid thing to do: Leaving the house like that to do reconnaissance on her own. She should've asked at least one of us to go with her._ Angel thought angrily as he hurriedly walked to the direction of the crypt that Buffy was supposed to be at.

He would have followed her sooner had it been possible. But it was still a few minutes 'till sunset when she left so he had to wait until then to go out. He was angry too at the people in the house for not following Buffy when she did leave. Sure, they objected at first but that was all they did, object. And when she didn't listen to them and ignored them, they just all decided to respect her decision, which he still thought was stupid of them to do. Buffy wasn't thinking straight, she was acting on her own because she still thought that she couldn't depend on them after what they did to her the night before. But she should get over that by now, they were in a time of crisis after all and she needed them. But ever since she came back from her self-exile with Spike, she'd only been depending on him and his team for the major things like spell casting and battle tactics. Besides researching on the weapon she got from the vineyard the Slayer had not once asked the soulled vampire or any of her real friends for help, and it irritated him to no end.

He knew deep down that he shouldn't blame her for distrusting them, it was their fault after all for turning their backs on her. But he could not help but think that she was being childish for continuing on her tantrum. They were fighting off the end of the world here, she shouldn't be holding on to that grudge of hers for so long. She should be using all her available resources and not choosing favorites.

He fisted his hands as he remembered how Buffy acted around the other vampire. How she was always subtly looking at him for confirmation on what she should do. How she valued his opinions and ideas better than anyone when they were discussing some plans. _It was just so wrong!_

He was here first. He was the one who had been fighting by her side for weeks. Yet not once did she come to him for strength, for ideas, for anything! She never allowed herself to be weak, to rely on people, to rely on him. She just didn't want to relinquish her control and just let herself be vulnerable with him! Not once had she done that! But one visit from the bleached menace and she was all young and dependant on the other vampire and it irked him no end.

He may have admitted that Spike was better at being a man than him, but it didn't mean he was better than him at everything else! He was a better strategist than Spike. A better fighter. A better leader. And yet Buffy never once looked at him for guidance or protection. She never looked at him for help aside from aiding her to deal with a bunch of kids. Buffy didn't rely on him and he hated it. He hated that she preferred Spike over him. He hated that she felt more safe and comfortable with the other vampire and that she trusted him more than she ever did him. It just didn't seem right or fair!

"It's never fair," a voice whispered from behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see the object of his frustrations.

"Buffy! How?"

How did she get there? Where did she come from? Why hadn't he noticed her? Questions all rolled through his mind at the sight of his beautiful Slayer in front of him.

"How? Hmm, I wonder?" she said placing her finger under her chin looking like she was in deep thought. "Maybe because you were too busy brooding and getting angry at me to noticed that I was right behind you?" She smiled evilly at him and in that moment he recognized who the being in front of him was.

"You're not Buffy. You're the First," he pointed out, narrowing his eyes at the figure.

"Bingo! Although, didn't think you'd recognize me that easily. You're not as dumb as I thought you were. Well, my bad for thinking that air was the only thing that made that forehead of yours grow that big."

"Shut up!" he told, angry at it for its insult.

"Aww. Did I strike a nerve? Well, sorry, I can't help if I'm just so good at twisting people's heads!" it said with an enthusiastic smile that reminded him oh so much of his Slayer.

Angel choose to ignore it and turned away and continued to make his way towards the crypt. He was but a few meters away from the crypt when it reappeared before him again this time it was using the face of Darla, his Sire and the mother of his son.

"You know, Angelus, I never could understand your obsession with this Slayer. She's not even all that pretty. Her nose is slightly skewed and she's very small. Smaller even compared to Dru and I and not just in height but in other assets too." It sensually caressed its breast and bum. Angel glared at it before side stepping and continuing to move towards the crypt's opened entrance

 _Buffy must already be inside._ He thought grimly, while silently praying that nothing had happen to his Slayer.

"She's stupid and you two have very different tastes in everything," it said from beside him, still using the image of his deceased Sire. "From music to art and even television shows-though I doubt you actually watch television, considering you prefer to read. And that's another difference between the two of you to be added in the list!" It laughed and it was getting hard for Angel to ignore what it was saying considering it kept following him as he neared the crypt. "You two are just so different that it hurts to see you two together because you both have no idea how to act with one another! Which is why I'd never understand why you'd still want her! You'd be better off with that cheerleader if she hadn't gone into a coma. At least that one had better fashion sense."

"Shut up! Okay? Just shut up! You don't know anything about me or Buffy or even Cordy!"

The First immediately changed its face and into the image of the vampire's hated Grandchilde. It smirked at the vampire using the familiar face as it continued on with its taunting.

"I know that whatever you do, you just can't keep any woman you love happy. With Dru, you turned her so barmy that the bloody bint couldn't tell which way was up or down without the help of her stars. With the cheerleader, you got so deeply involved with your cause that her life got so screwed up and she paid for it via mystical coma. With Darla, you left her pregnant and having to kill herself for your son. The son who you disowned and secretly shoved to another family because you couldn't deal with what the demon spawn did. And let's not forget Buffy, who you groomed to love you and only you so she wouldn't let herself be happy with a normal man and had turned to the arms of your vampire substitute, which is yours truly, to satisfy her sexual itch!"

Angel drew a step back as if he was hit by a powerful punch at the apparition's words. He knew he'd made a lot of mistakes, hell he agreed to being guilty to most of the things the First said but the part about Buffy? It was just too much for him to believe. He couldn't have done that. He couldn't have pushed her to do such a thing!

"You and Buffy? No! You are lying!" he screamed as he charged the Evil apparition with his Grandchilde's face.

Of course, as expected, he merely passed through its incorporeal body, slamming himself instead on the hard concrete door of the crypt. Laughter echoed behind the vampire as he tried to recover from his self-inflicted injury.

"Now, that was bloody stupid of you! You know you can't really touch me, Peaches, but damn! That was just too bloody hilarious, you big poof! Hahahaha! How's the door, old man? Was it too strong for you?"

"Shut up," he grumbled as he rubbed his head, which was already forming a huge lump.

"Aww, little Angel's got a boo boo! Want me to kiss it better, Daddy?" This time it was using Dru's face. She was crouching in front of him with the same innocent look of his Childe.

"Get away from me," he said as he slowly stood up. He was still wobbly and dizzy from what happened.

It was right, he was stupid. He had allowed himself to be manipulated and lied to and had lost his temper . He should've known better than to let such a thing happen.

"You know, Daddy, I've always known that my William would best you someday. I always knew he'd one day show that he was better than you. Though this wasn't how I imagined that he'd do it, I still knew that he would. It was why I made him that night. I saw so much greatness in my William that I had to make him mine so it would happen. And now it has! He's now better than you in every way possible! He's the Power's new favorite. They gave him a better team, a greater destiny and it seems that he's even a closer in getting the prize that is the nasty little Slayer! Mommy is so proud of her William! Aren't I right, Daddy?"

"No, you're not."

"Still denying me, huh? Well, can't say I blame you, mate. I wouldn't want to hear just how much of a failure I am either. Which is why I prefer bragging about everything I did succeed in. Like putting it on Buffy!"

"Buffy wouldn't have let you touch her. She knows better than that," he snapped.

"Does she?" Its face changed for one more time turning in to Buffy once again. "I really didn't care about what was right or wrong, Angel, at least not when it came to Spike. All I cared about was the feeling of him being inside me, taking me and tearing me apart from the inside, satisfying me in a way that you or any man I have been with could never fathom of doing. And you know what's the clincher? I kept coming back for more!"

"No, no, no. You can't. She wouldn't." He covered his ears and shook his head in denial.

"I would, Angel. I did. And I actually plan to do so again after everything with the First is over," it whispered, knowing despite the covered ears the vampire could still very much hear it.

"No! You lie! Lair!" he screamed.

It simply laughed at him before pointing at the crypt behind the vampire.

"Why don't you go see for it yourself? See just how much Spike really means to me," it told him before disappearing before the vampire.

Angel stared at the crypt with dread. He was afraid of what he might see there. But he knew he still had to see. He had to see to prove the apparition wrong about its words regarding Spike and Buffy's relationship.

 _She did kiss him when she saw him, doesn't that tell you something of their relationship already?_ The voice in his head said.

He shook himself, denying the evil thought that had crossed his mind, before finally entering the crypt. Upon his entry, he felt his undead heart shatter at the sight he saw.

Buffy and Spike were in a passionate lip lock, Caleb's severed body laid dead on the ground beside them, along with the body of some white haired woman. But the latter images didn't really bother him as much as the first one. It was just too much for the vampire.

"See? Told you, I prefer Spike than you. He's my real Champion. You're nothing but a washed up Champion who sold his soul to darkness. A real disappointment. You're not wanted here, Angel. You're useless to everyone now."

Angel said nothing but simply left the crypt without a word to the kissing couple.

 **(O.O)**

The door slamming shut was the houses' inhabitants' only indication of their Slayer's arrival. They all stood up as Buffy and Spike entered the living room area.

"Buffy, you came back?!" Willow exclaimed.

"Was my return questioned in the first place?" she asked, trying to understand the true meaning of what the redhead said.

"Oh-well, not really. But um-"

"What Willow is trying to say is that you left angry with us again and the last time it happened um-well, you hadn't planned on returning," Giles said trying to explain to his Slayer.

"Oh! Well, actually I wasn't really angry at you guys earlier. I was angry at someone else-" She glared at Spike. "-and well-there a thing called Displacement in Psychology and I might have sort of taken out all my anger on you guys. Sorry."

"So you're not angry at us again?" Willow asked timidly and sounding a bit hopeful too.

Buffy sighed. She didn't really want to do this now, but she knew she had to reconcile with her friends before they could actually do anything to save the world together. She needed their help, all of their help. And in order to do that they had to help with all their might and not always with fear that she'd rage at them again. She needed them to stop always asking for her permission on what to do and just try their own thing in finding out what they should do to help for themselves. She needed her people to start acting like the people who had helped her save the world countless times over the past seven years. And in order to get them back they all had to settle their issues first.

"I was never angry, Will. Hurt? Yes. Betrayed? Definitely. But I wasn't angry. If there was anyone I was angry with it was myself. I-I know I have been distant lately, cold, and, sometimes, I may seemed uncaring. But that was just my way of disassociating myself from the reality that I was weak. That I couldn't protect everyone. And I guess my actions finally bit me in the butt because it lead you all to do what you did."

"We all should've been more understanding, Buffy," the redhead quickly said walking closer to the blond Slayer.

"Yeah, you've been through so much and you had a full plate," Xander followed. "We shouldn't have blamed you for what happened with Caleb. We all agreed to go there and it wasn't your fault that we lost to him. He was freaky strong after all and we are all stupidly weak. It wasn't your fault that we lost that fight, Buff."

"Xander is right. So far, Buffy, you have been doing your up most to keep everyone safe," Giles said joining in the conversation. "Yet instead of aiding you in lessening the burden, we all ended up adding to it. Our betrayal last night was an embarrassment and I truly feel ashamed of it. I am your Watcher but I wasn't watching your back as I should have."

"And we're your best friends yet we abandoned you last night when you needed us. Heck we chose dead boy over you! We couldn't get any more evil than that!" Xander exclaimed earning a laugh from their Slayer. "But all jokes aside, we really are sorry, Buff. We should've been there for you, no matter how unreasonable your requests were, we should've at least heard you out or at the very least allowed you to talk to us about it. We should've supported you and watched your back, as Giles said. We should've-"

"Done a lot of things better," Buffy finished, "I know, Xan. I feel the same way too. I should've trusted you guys before instead of making you all feel that I didn't need you. And I also know that there are a lot of things I should've done but there's no point in regretting and wishing for those things now. We need to focus on what we can do now and the most important thing we need to do is to defeat the First. But, guys, we can only do that if we all work together, and I mean, really work together, _all of us_." She emphasized on the last part if her sentence.

"You're talking about Spike's team, aren't you?" Xander asked, understanding her emphasis.

"Yes, Xan. The Powers sent them to help us, but instead of actually relying on their help, you all are too cautious of them and sometimes wary of all of them. I get that we have a past with them, guys, but we need to move past that. We only have one chance to beat the First and Spike and his team can help strengthen that chance . What do you say? Will all you stop acting like they are gonna kill us in our sleep and start acting like they are actually part of them team ?" She crossed her arms and waited for their answers.

"If we were to be really honest, the only reason we haven't fully trusted Spike and his team is because your ex keeps spouting stuff about them being lead by a soulless vampire and that they could turn on us anytime they want," Anya said bluntly, earning nods of agreement from the group and an angry look from Buffy.

She wasn't really angry at Anya. She was actually angry at what she had said. It so explained a lot of why there seemed to be a visible division in the house. While the Scoobies researched in the living room, Spike and his team were in the kitchen. Earlier she had assumed that they were used to working by themselves which is why she allowed them to stay there instead of joining her team, but now she knew the real reason. They decided to stay in the kitchen to get away from her team and Angel's because they all seemed to constantly distrust them because a certain soulled vampire wouldn't shut up about them being evil.

 _Grrr. Angel is really slowly growing closer to getting a punch in the nose if he continues acting like a jerk like this._ Then she stopped.

"Speaking of Angel, where is he?" she asked, it'd be no use wanting to punch someone if the someone she wanted to punch was not around.

The young red haired Texan scientists, who was part of Angel's team, was the one who answered for her. "He had seemed mighty upset earlier that you left all by yourself, Buffy, so he went to follow you when the sun went down. We thought you two would've met up and come back together."

"We didn't meet up. Spike was the one who came and met with me at the crypt. He had been following Caleb from the vineyard, which he had secretly revisited." She again glared at the vampire scoldingly. She was still a bit upset that he had decided to go there again, without her permission, to investigate. She understood that he went there to see if he could get more info regarding the scythe but she still thought that he shouldn't have gone alone. He should've brought Faith along with him, instead of sending her looting. "Anyway, we didn't see Angel there or on the way back."

"What?! But where could he be?!" Gunn asked looking worried. He had wanted to go with Angel earlier but the vampire had declined his offer, saying that he was to stay and protect the house. If anything had happened to his friend because he had allowed him to leave alone, he'd never forgive himself.

"I'm right here, Gunn," Angel said from the hallway.

"Angel, where have you been?" Wesley asked, looking worriedly at the vampire.

"I went out to make a call," was the vampire's cryptic reply.

"And you couldn't have done that here?" Spike said snidely. He was a bit irritated at the vampire's reckless behavior and for making the humans worry about him, much more because of the fact he didn't seemed a bit repentant for his actions.

Angel glared at the younger vampire, but said nothing. He was right after all, the phone call he made couldn't be done in the house, especially since he was calling the evil law firm he was now CEO of.

Instead of replying to the vampire, Angel turned to Buffy.

"We need to talk," he told her.

"Not now, Angel. If you haven't noticed I was on the verge of telling everyone what to do to defeat the First," she told him.

"I have a way too, which is why I need to talk to you," he insisted.

"If you have a way then please share it to the class, Peaches. Buffy ain't the only one here who needs to know," Spike pointed.

"Shut up, Spike, and stay out of this," he told the younger vampire. Buffy would've come to her boyfriend's rescue had she not seen the look on Angel's face. He looked serious and she knew that what he wanted to say was important.

"Alright. Let's go outside," she told him before turning to Spike. "You need to tell them everything we found out tonight and what we discussed earlier and on what we will be doing to defeat the First. We'll be back in few minutes."

Spike took a moment to stare at Buffy , trying to read what she was planning. He didn't like that she was gonna be left alone with Angel, call it being insecure or whatever. But he had a bad feeling when the two were together. Of course, he knew better than to act like a jealous lover in front of the Slayer. He had been on the receiving end of that earlier back at the crypt. Apparently, Jonathan had failed to inform Buffy about the Succubus, which was the real reason he had monkey sex with Faith, that had attacked him and his partner. The Slayer went on full bitch mode earlier. It took her a lot of convincing and a heavy-passionate-and-sex-leading-kiss to finally make his lover understand that he wouldn't cheat on her with Faith. And so he didn't want to make Buffy experience such a thing from him. He wasn't a hypocrite after all, but aside from that he simply just Trusted her.

He nodded to the Slayer before turning to face the others and began telling them of what they had discovered at the crypt together.

"First of all, the scythe-thing is strong. Strong enough to defeat Caleb-" he began, all while eying his Slayer and Grand sire as they exited the house.

 **(O.O)**

Buffy knew there was something wrong with Angel. She had no idea what exactly but she seriously didn't like the air of gloom the vampire was emitting. Also, for a second, she was certain that she saw him give her and Spike a death glare before they left the house earlier. They were standing outside her house waiting for the vampire to finally tell her what his plan to help them was. She crossed her arms as she waited for him to finally tell her what his plan was.

"Okay, we're outside. Spill, Angel," she told him impatiently. She had been waiting long enough after all.

"Umm-right. Here." He handed her a folder.

Buffy flipped through its pages. "Where'd you get this?" she asked reading a few of its contents.

"I got it from an informant of mine," he answered cryptically, earning a suspicious look from the Slayer.

She closed the folder and crossed her arms again. "You know, this would've been more helpful if you'd given this to the gang earlier instead of me. They're usually the ones in charge of the research thing, Angel."

She turned around to return back in to the house.

"Wait! There's more!" he said, pulling out from his pocket a crystal amulet. It was 2-inch diameter, a round crystal pendant with a silver starburst setting hung from a coarse silver chain. He then showed it to Buffy.

"I can already tell you, I have nothing that goes with that," she told him sarcastically.

"It's not for you," he said, again, with the cryptic.

"Splainy?" She raised a brow at him.

"I don't know everything. It's-uh-very powerful and probably very dangerous. It has a purifying power, a cleansing power, possibly scrubbing bubbles. The translation is, uh—anyway, it bestows strength to the right person who wears it," he answers.

"And the right person is?"

"Someone ensouled, but stronger than human. A champion. As in me," he said with conviction and certainty.

"Or me," she told him in an a matter-of-fact kind of tone.

"No," Angel said, shaking his head in the process, "I don't know nearly enough about this to risk you wearing it. Besides, you got that real cool axe-thing going for you. This here." He lifts the amulet. "This will be mine."

"Or not," she told him. "Look, Angel, you said it yourself. That thing is dangerous, and you have no idea what that thing does exactly, aside from the fact that it has a purifying power. We can't use a weapon that we have no idea what it does or how exactly it can be used aside from the fact that it has to be worn by a soulled champion, which if you actually think about it, we have more than you and I who fits that description."

"Spike doesn't have a soul, Buffy," he pointed, "Or have you forgotten that because of your closeness with him."

Buffy looked offended at what he was implying. Her eyes narrowed at him. "I meant his team, idiot. Spike may not have a soul but most of the members of his team does. They are all considered Champions too, if you have forgotten."

"Why are you so trusting of his team?! They were only here for one day and you already think that you can save the world because of them! Buffy, I have been here for three months, helping you with this fight and you never showed me and my team the same amount of trust you are giving Spike and his, and I have a soul for Pete's sake!"

Buffy was taken aback by his outburst before a look of understanding crossed her face.

"You-you're jealous!" she told him.

"What?" It was his turn to look surprised.

"You're jealous of Spike and his team and that's why you came up with this crystal thingy. So you can feel important again!"

"That's not-"

"God, Angel, that's such an immature and childish thing for you to do! Spike and his team are here to help and instead of welcoming them, you've been hindering them by your snide remarks and distrusting comments about them. Because of you, everyone else always ends up weary of the newcomers too! If you really wanted to be trusted by me, then you should've tried to prove yourself worthy of my trust!"

"I have been doing that! I have been trying to earn your trust by helping out with protecting you and everyone else. What do you think I have been doing every night since I came here? I've been roaming the streets at night, patrolling for you!"

"I didn't need you to patrol for me! I needed you to help me train the girls!"

"I didn't come here to babysit a bunch of whiny little children, Buffy! I came to help you fight the First!"

"And that is what I wanted you to help me with, Angel! I asked you to train them so they can know what it's like fighting a real vampire! What it's like to actually face a real monster. They needed experience, Angel. Experience that you could've instilled in them had you taken the time," she told him, "I needed you to help me make my army stronger, but instead you gave that job to your men." Angel opened his mouth to defend his people, but Buffy beat him to it. "And no, I'm not saying that Gunn or Wesley failed in teaching them, what I am saying is that they didn't teach them enough to be able to survive the First and its minions."

"Buffy, even if I did agree to train them, I couldn't. They're kids and they smell so sweet, my demon wouldn't have been able to stop itself. I could end up hurting your girls instead of helping them."

"And you wonder why I don't trust you," she pointed out coldly.

These words crushed Angel's unbeating heart for the second time that night. He hadn't thought of it like that. Buffy not trusting him because he couldn't trust himself. It was sad but it made so much sense to him now.

"But you would've trusted Spike with the girls despite the fact he's a soulless monster?" he asked.

"Yes, I would," she answered with certainty, "I do trust him, Angel. I always have. Even when he was evil, I always placed a small amount of trust in him that he would keep his word. And he has never failed me."

"You're being naive, Buffy. He doesn't deserve your trust or faith. One way or another he will turn on you and you will regret it."

"Maybe. But until that day comes, I'm gonna trust him. And will keep trusting him to do the right thing especially now right when he's with my friends who I know will most likely piss him off, like Kennedy did."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I am trusting a chipless and soulless Spike in a house with my annoying and disrespectful friends."

The soulled vampire's eyes widened in alarm. "He doesn't have the chip?! But how did he get it out? Better yet, how do you know that it's out?"

"Hello, he and his team kill evil humans. I think the Powers would've taken it out if they wanted their Champion to be able to do his job," she informed him pointedly. "And if not them, Spike could've found a way to get it removed. As for how I knew, I saw him attack Kennedy this morning. No electric induced headache, remember?"

After hearing this, he looked at the house and was about to dash back inside when Buffy grabbed his arm.

"I already told you, Angel, I trust Spike. He wouldn't hurt any one of my friends."

"You are being too gullible, Buffy! You left a soulless and chipless vampire in a room full of humans with blood rushing in their veins! He's probably slaughtering them right now!

"No, he's not," she said confidently, again taking Angel aback. "And if you don't believe me, you can just listen in the house and you will know that no slaughtering is going on inside."

He did as she said and used his enhanced hearing to listen in on the occupants of the house. She was right. Nothing was happening. Nothing besides the fact that Spike was relaying a plan to the Scoobies and his team and it seemed that everyone was really in on it. He could even hear Xander saying that he liked the plan.

"I-I don't understand," he stated, looking really lost, "He should be killing everyone not talking about sealing the Hellmouth forever. Angelus would've been savoring on the blood of those people by now."

"And that's why you will never understand him, Angel. You are always comparing Spike to you. But you can never understand that he's not Angelus. He's not gonna slaughter everyone because he doesn't care about the bloodshed like Angelus does. He doesn't want to kill the friends of the woman he loves because he knows better than that. I think you already know this but Spike loves with all his heart and he loves me, so I know he will never do anything to hurt me. So yeah, I would trust him more than you, Angel, because he has proven more than once that he's more trustworthy than any demon I have met."

"And aside from that, you also love him, don't you? That's why you trust him so much" he asked sadly. Yes, he finally understood why she trusted him. But he also had to know whether or not that trust only came from her knowledge of the kind of vampire Spike was or the fact that she too returned his feelings. He knew it was stupid and that there was a possibility that he would end up hurt with her answer but he really had to know.

"I don't know whether or not I love him, Angel," was her honest and surprising answer. "But I do know that he is in my heart and that I need him. Not just in this fight but for every part of my life."

Angel studied her face and saw that she meant every word she said. She wanted Spike to be with her and that she needed him, though for what he had no idea. It was just the fact that she did needed him that didn't sit well with the vampire.

"This isn't what I wanted for you, Buffy. I had wanted you to have a normal life."

She snorted at that. "Normal? Angel, I am a Slayer, normal was never gonna cut it for me. The last normal man I dated ended up getting a sword in the stomach on my birthday. I don't do normal, Angel because it will never work out for me."

"So you just decided to shack up with a vampire, is that it? If that's you're only reason for choosing Spike then it is a very trivial one and I think he deserves more than that, Buffy." He didn't really care about Spike. The blonde vampire can be used in any way he wants to by anyone else for all he cared. But what he really cared about was Buffy and he needed to let her see the mistake of having a relationship with the bleached vampire in any way he could, no matter how he did it. And the only way he knew how to do that was for him to use her kindness against her. "He loves you very much, Buffy, and you only wanting to be with him because of that is not fair on Spike. He needs someone who will love him as much as he does. I think he deserves that."

"I know he does, Angel," she told him sadly, again surprising the vampire. But her face then looked determined as she said her words. "I know that Spike deserves someone who will love him and treat him as well as he has treated me. But that doesn't mean that I'll let him go. Call me rotten, but I don't care. I'm a selfish person, at least only when it comes to Spike. I don't want anyone else to have him because he's mine. When he left last year, I just felt so incomplete. Like a part of me was missing. At first, I thought it was because I was finally facing the reality of losing heaven since Spike was no longer there to distract me. But even when I had accepted that loss of my final resting place, I still felt incomplete. It was only when I saw Spike again last night, that moment when his hood was removed, that I realized what it was that I lacked... And it was him. He completes me, Angel, in a way no one does. He knows me better than even I know myself and loves and understands every part of me that even my family and friends can't seemed to comprehend. He's like my other half and I don't want to lose him." She took a deep breath before she released it. Then she turned to face the vampire again. "So even if he does deserve someone better, I'm not letting him go. And rather than giving up on him, I will try to make myself more worthy of him."

Her words, her convictions. It was just too much for the vampire. He couldn't believe he was hearing her say all of this. He couldn't believe she was directing such words to Spike of all people. It was just too much to bare.

"So what you're saying is that you think that Spike is really the one for you? That he's your soul mate? Then what about me, Buffy? I thought I was that person to you. Did what we have mean nothing to you? Are you really gonna throw away our love for Spike?" he questioned her out of desperation.

He couldn't accept it. Losing the girl. Losing Buffy. He just couldn't-

 _I already lost Cordy, I can't lose you too!_ He thought.

"What we have? Angel, I was sixteen when I met you, seventeen when we first had sex, and eighteen when you decided I needed to have a normal life. The highlight of our relationship was either when I killed you or when you broke up with me. Then there was the human thing! Where you turned back time just so you could be a vampire again!" Angel's eyes widened at that. _How did she know about that?_ "Oh, don't look so surprised. I went to heaven, Angel, that was among the things that was returned to me when I came back. I was showed everything that happened in my life, no matter that it never happened at all like that day you took back, before I went to the eternal resting place. I saw how you, again, made a decision for me and let go of our one chance to be happy with each other! To have that normal life you always wanted from me! But what do you do? You turned back time! You gave up that chance and for what? To save me from certain death, which FYI you still didn't help prevent because you were busy traipsing in another dimension!" She had tears in her eyes, but brushed them away. She was angry and she didn't want the bone headed vampire see her cry because she knew he'd probably take it another way. "So don't you dare accuse me of not putting importance to our love because between the two of us, you are the most guilty of that statement. I loved you, Angel, I still do, but not as much as you still think I do. I've grown up in all those years you've been away, and in my growing I have learned that love isn't the most important thing in a relationship. Love is just among the things that make a good relationship, but the real most important thing in a relationship is Trust. Being able to trust your partner to watch your back and to stay by your side through it all, that's the kind of relationship I want, and we didn't have that, Angel. We can never have that, and do you know why?"

"Because you don't trust me," he answered with a sad look.

"Partly correct," she conceded, "But it is more because you don't trust me. You never did, Angel. You always make decisions for me under the pretense that it is for my own good. But who are you to decide what is good for me or not? You're not my mother, father or even Watcher. You don't get to decided things for me! So yeah, I think that a relationship with the two of us would've failed because we don't have Trust."

"And you and Spike do." It wasn't a question. More like a final statement.

"I already told you that."

Angel looked down. He was defeated. He took her there to impress her and at least make her see him as her hero but instead he ended up getting told off and his heart even more broken.

Buffy watched the devasted look that crossed the vampire's handsome face. And she felt sorry for him because of it. She hadn't wanted to hurt him but she didn't want to let him keep the illusion that they could still be together one day. They had that chance already and she had already learned to accept that missed opportunity. But the same couldn't be said for him, which was why she never told him that she remembered that lost day. She had wanted to at least to spare him the heartache of knowing that he finally lost her undying love.

"I'm sorry, Angel," she said before turning back to the house and leaving him to mourn their lost love on his own.

 **(O.O)**

Spike had just finished explaining their plan to the Scoobies and his team. They had all agreed to do it and aside from a few little magically tweaks they have to resolve, there wasn't much that needed to be explained with their plan. The others had charged themselves to inform the potentials. He had just left the kitchen and was just about to go upstairs to check on Ethan when Buffy reenteted the house.

"So, what did the poof have to say?" he asked, trying to sound casual, when in fact he was really worried what the bastard did to his Slayer.

 _Better tell the truth, Slayer, because the tears I smell from you. So it ain't gonna be that easy to hide, luv._ He thought as he watched her intently.

She ignored his question though. And instead of answering she surprised him by hugging him all of a sudden.

"I need you, Spike," she whispered so only he could hear.

Although if she were to be honest, she didn't care that anyone heard her. She was finally tired of having to defend her reason for acting close with the blonde vampire. She was tired of hiding their relationship. She was just tired of people butting in to her own business.

Her conversation with Angel had drained the most out of her, despite that she hadn't really said all she wanted to say to him and only said enough so the vampire would realized that he should stop this jealousy induced jerkiness he had been showing Spike's team. She just hadn't prepared herself for those kinds of talks. She was facing an apocalypse for Pete's sake! She shouldn't have to deal with all of these emotional crappy things that required her to feel, because when she starts feeling she becomes weak and they can't have that. Especially not now when they are on the verge of battle.

She needed her head straight, but Angel couldn't seemed to understand that and had left her with a serious dilemma that she would have rather not thought of.

 _He loves you very much, Buffy, and you only want to be with him because of that is not fair on Spike. He needs someone who will love him as much as he loves. I think he deserves that._

The memory of Angel's words echoed through her mind. As she hugged Spike and allowed him to comfort her in his embrace, she was forced to think back on those words.

 _He does deserve someone better, I know this... So do I really have a right to be selfish and keep him with me?_

She looked up to the vampire, and knew her mind would not ease itself unless they settled this problem. So with her eyes, she silently implored him to take her away so they could talk.

Spike simply nodded and lead Buffy to the basement, which he was certain was currently unoccupied. Everyone, meaning the Scoobies, simply watched the exchange with wide eyes until the couple left the room.

A few minutes of silence passed before Xander Harris spoke up.

"Uh-did we just really see that?" he asked out loud.

"Apparently we did," was Giles' dumbfounded reply.

"What should we do?" Willow asked, not really sure how she should react to what she saw. I mean, sure, she knew Buffy and Spike were close, Dawn told them so yesterday after all. But to see Buffy lean on Spike for support in such an intimate way? She just hadn't thought that they were _that_ close.

"Do you, guys, really have to do anything?" Gunn, one of Angel's team, questioned.

"What do you mean?" Willow turned to the African-American man.

"I mean, so she hugged the guy and they left the room together to probably get some privacy. Why do you guys have to think of something to do about it?" he told them.

"Because the said guy that she hugged isn't even a guy, but a vampire. She shouldn't be hugging vampires! Much less that particular vampire!" Xander exclaimed angrily.

"And you all wonder why Buffy stopped trusting all of you?" Dawn said, after being quiet during the entire exchange. "Even now you think you have a right to tell her what to do and who she should be with."

"Dawn, this is different," Xander started but he was once again cut off by the teen.

"How is it different Xander? Because it's Spike? Well, if you hadn't noticed Spike really isn't the problem here! The problem is all of you! You all are still thinking that you can make judgement on my sister and dictate to her what she can and can't do! So she wants to hug and rely on Spike? So she will start shacking up with a vampire? So what? It's her life and none of you have a right to tell her otherwise! She's a grown woman who can make decisions for herself and she doesn't need friends who would try to pull her strings to get her to do what they please. Buffy's not your puppet and you are not her masters. The sooner you all realize that the better things are gonna get for all of you!"

She then stood and was breathing heavily as she watched everyone's reaction. She didn't like the look on their faces because despite her very valid argument, it still looked like they were gonna disagree with her in some way. They just didn't have words to say to her just yet. So instead of waiting for them to actually say anything she continued.

"If even now you all still think that you have a say on what Buffy should and shouldn't do, then I suggest you all start packing because I don't think my sister would want friends who can't respect her to make decisions for herself. If you don't respect Buffy then I don't think you're her real friends."

With that she stomped off towards the kitchen. Her exit would have been dramatic if not for Spike's team blocking her way with their books and research materials in their hands.

"Oh, hey, Dawn!" Amy greeted, "If you plan to go to the kitchen, don't. I just finished doing a silencing spell there so we won't hear whatever activities Spike and your Slayer are planning doing down there in the basement."

"Silencing spell? Activities? What the heck do you think those two would be doing down there?" Xander asked.

Amy simply shrugged. "I'm not sure. But I know Spike and when I see him be alone with a woman, it usually ends with the two of them having sex?"

"And since not all of us are gonna be having anything at the moment, we'd rather not be reminded of what we won't be having during this apocalypse, hence the silencing spell," April supplied as she settled on one of he corners of the room with her laptop.

Dread filled the room, at least for the Scoobies.

 _Buffy isn't that angry with them to the extent that she'd let Spike touch her that way, is she?_ These were the words that the group thought. _They needed to do something._

"Don't you guys dare," Dawn told the Scoobies in the group. "I know that look on your faces. It's the look you all have when you disapprove of what Buffy is doing and are planning to do an intervention."

"Dawn, if I may just say-"

"No, Giles! My sister is her own person! She deserves to be treated with respect, and, again, none of you have a right to tell her what to do or plan her life for her. We almost lost Buffy yesterday because we turned our backs on her, do you really think she'll still let you stay with her if you try to fit your own views on her? I don't think so." She paused to assess the expression on everyone's faces. It looked like they all just remembered that Buffy was still recovering from yesterday's betrayal and realized that there was still a possibility that they could lose her had they really gone through with their plan to talk to Buffy about the sudden turn of her relationship with Spike.

So they conceded with the younger Summers' request and had decided to leave Buffy alone with Spike for now. At least until this apocalypse ended and they all, including Buffy, could really sit down and fully talk about their issues with each other. So until then, the group decided to ignore the Slayer and the vampire downstairs and pretend, or hope, that nothing was actually happening between the two.

 **(O.O)**

She still hadn't told him what was wrong, all he knew was that she hadn't wanted to be with everyone earlier so he had taken her away from the crowd. He knew there were repercussions with their actions: hugging him that way and then him taking her downstairs alone. He had been certain it would illicit negative reactions from her precious friends.

And he had not been wrong.

From upstairs he could hear their outburst. Harris being the most vocal of the lot. He could easily imagine their facial expressions as he listened to them from below. He clenched his fist as he heard the boy's words about how Buffy shouldn't be hugging him.

 _Who the bloody hell does he think he is? He has no right to decide who the Slayer wants to hug or not!_

He would've ran back upstairs to teach the bastard a lesson or two about respecting the Slayer, but Dawn had beat him to it.

He had smirked as he heard his little Bit tell the Scoobies off. He was actually proud at her for defending her big sis.

 _Gonna make sure to give the Bit a good present when all this is done._ He promised to himself.

He would've continued listening to the conversation upstairs but decided to stop so he could finally focus on the woman in front of him. She hadn't said anything since they arrived in the basement. She merely walked a couple of steps away from him and simply stood there, her arms folded protectively around her body. Her shoulders were hunched, which made her appear even smaller than she already was.

 _What the bloody hell did that poof say to you?_ He thought angrily as he stared at the woman in front of him.

He would've voiced the questioned out loud had she not beaten him to it.

"Do you really think we'd work out?" she asked suddenly, "When we beat this enemy and prevent the First from taking over the world, do you really think there is a chance for us to work out a relationship?"

"What are-Are you having second thoughts about us?" he asked, not bothering to mask the hurt in his voice. Just earlier they had been talking about having the best sex they could ever have together when they finished off the First, but now she was asking him this. It was truly putting a hole in his already cracked heart.

"No, I'm not-well, okay maybe I am, but not for the reasons you think," she said hurriedly.

"And what reasons would that bloody be then?!" he asked sounding angry and irritated. He already somewhat had an idea what her reasons were, he was just annoyed that she just didn't downright tell him immediately that after talking to his marvelous Grand sire, she realized that she didn't want him after all.

"I'm having second thoughts because I think that I wouldn't be able to make you happy, Spike," she said finally looking him straight in the eye.

"Wait-what? Make me happy? What the bloody hell are you on about, Slayer?!"

"It's something Angel said-he told me that being with you wasn't fair on your part because I am not returning your feelings. And Spike, you feel so much that I think any woman would be lucky to have you as a lover. But I am incapable of feeling the same thing. I don't think I'll be able to love you." His face again crumbled at those words, of which again she hurriedly tried to explain. "Not because you are not loveable-believe me, any girl will fall hopelessly in love with you-but more because I just don't think I can love. I'm broken, Spike, I have been since Angel. And it is because of what he did to me, what I had experienced with him that I think was what had ruined so much that I have lost my ability to actually love. That's why I think that being in a relationship with you, as I am now, is doomed to fail because of me. I'm afraid that I might end up hurting you again. A-and it's just not fair to you. You give your all to anyone you love but I can't do that, I'm not like that I-"

"That's where you're wrong, Slayer," he cut her off, then he walked closer to her until he was standing a few inches apart from her. "You can love, pet. In fact, your love rises above anyone else I know, even mine. You love with all your heart and give your all even when you no longer have anything left to give. It's only that this whole bloody world has been so cruel to you that it has indeed left you so broken, but not enough to stop you from loving, because if it has then you would've stopped fighting for this world, for your friends and for your family. Buffy, you are full of love and you never stopped loving, the only thing is that you are afraid to love someone new. I know you care for me, luv. In fact, what you are telling me now only proves how much you care for a sad excuse of a vampire like me. So you don't love me now, it doesn't mean you won't fall in love with me later and trust me, pet, I can wait a long time for that later to come."

"But it's not fair to make you wait that long," she told him with a pained look.

He simply shrugged at her words. "It's not like I don't have time to do so. I have all the time in the world, luv. In fact, I have an Eternity to wait, Buffy. And for you, pet? I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. Your love is that special."

"It's not," she whispered. She really didn't think she was that special and yet Spike seemed to always see that she was and it pained her to be this amazing person in his mind when in reality she was not even close to that person.

"It is to me. Which is why I will wait for it because I know the moment I do have it, I can die a very happy man."

"I don't want you to die," she said softly, but panic in her eyes and how her voice trembled a bit were all clear indications of how much she feared such a thing to happen to him.

"And I won't, luv. I ain't leaving your side. Even if death did claim me, I'll always try to find my way back to you," he promised her, before he jokingly continued, "You know that I'm just persistent that way." He grinned.

She mirrored his expression and felt at ease by his promise. But the sense of relief didn't last long for she remembered the reason behind this conversation in the first place.

"But as much as how amazing that all sounds, Spike, I still don't think we should continue with this relationship. You may be okay with waiting for me, but I don't think I'm okay with making you wait that long. As I said, I don't want to hurt you, Spike, not again. I don't want you to be in an unhappy relationship with me while you wait for the time when I finally learn to actually love you."

"Bloody hell!" He cursed and snapped his head back in exasperation. He then turned to glare at the love of his life. "Who the hell told you that I'd be unhappy while waiting?! You silly bint, don't you know that just as long as you are giving me a crumb of your affection it's enough to make me the happiest man alive? I love you, Buffy, but I know that I don't deserve you. To have a part of you, no matter how small, is everything to me. I'm happy to have just as much as I can."

"But you deserve more than a crumb, Spike-"

"Which is why I am willing to wait!" he exclaimed loudly . She looked surprised at his declaration before confusion replaced the expression on her face. He sighed. He knew he had to explain to her what he meant by what he had just said. "Buffy, we had a very violent past. We have hurt each other in ways that shouldn't happen between lovers. So I can understand that you are reluctant to give us a chance, but as long as I know that you are not just using my affection for your own selfish desires as you had done a year ago, I am gonna be willing to wait for you for as long as you need. I will stay with you. I will love you. I don't care about what I deserve, I don't need you to go all Angel on me and leave me for my own good. That's not what I want from you, Buffy. I don't have a soul to understand the nobility of doing such things. I'm a demon and a real selfish one at that. The only thing that really matters to me is you and as long as I have you, damn all other things."

 _It was wrong._ She knew. How he viewed loving her, being with her. How he wanted her in that sort of way and not caring for the consequences it would have on him. It was not the right thing to do or the healthiest kind of relationship to have. And yet at the same time it sounded like a relief for her. To be able to have a reason to have him without having to think of what it will do to him. It was still so wrong but somehow she was slowly agreeing to it.

 _God, I am really, really twisted. Wanting him despite knowing that I will end up destroying him._

The pained look on her face was enough to tell him that she was thinking something bad again. Something he knew would end up destroying their steadily growing closeness. He could not have that.

"Buffy, don't worry about me, luv," he told her as he approached her again. "I can handle the pain. Heck, I'm immune to it. I did it with Dru and I'm sure you're not worse than her?"

She was still reluctant as she gave his words a proper thought.

"I don't want to treat you like Dru did," she said.

"Then don't. Stay as you are, luv. Be with me as how you are with me now. Trust me and accept my love like you are doing and I will not care about anything else. I want to be with you, Buffy. To fight by your side and have you depend on me and allow me to protect you. So please don't take that chance away from me."

That was it. His words. His request. That was all she needed to stop thinking all those negative thoughts she'd had since she left Angel earlier. She had his love and he was okay to give it to her despite the fact that she wasn't certain she could return it, because all he really wanted from her was for her to accept him.

And she knew she accepted him a long a time ago.

She snaked her arms around his neck and gave him a hug.

She was really grateful to have him. He always made her life easier and he always knew how to take her pain away. She could always count on him.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

She'd make things work between them. Like she had told Angel. Love didn't matter in their relationship, it was Trust. And as long as there was trust between them, they'd work out.

"Anytime, Slayer," he whispered back as he too tightened his hold on her.

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

Wow, that was long, but only since we are always at the conclusion of this fic. That is why I want to take my time in thanking all of you, my lovely reader, for supporting this fic as long as you have. I know it wasn't like the movies, like I just saw, or in the comics, the lastest version of it anyway, but you all still showed your love for this fic. So yeah, thank you and I hope you will continue on with you support. Thanks and hope to see you again in the next chapter..

Oh, and remember, I love reviews, so it would be even more appreciated if you leave one! Again, thanks and have a nice day, everyone!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Notes:**

Hi all! After I finishing my Elysian Fields' Anniversary Spuffy fic entitled " **He's Ours** ", I am finishing up this one! With only two more chapters after this one to go, I think it is safe to say that I am on a roll! Anyway, I just want to thank everyone for your patience and support you all have given me in this fic. You guys are all awesome. Really I appreciate it guys. So not to delay any further, I will end this intro here.

Special thanks to my beta **djellibabe** for her continued help and support she has given me for this fic. I couldn't have done it without her. So thank you sooo much!

 **(O.O)**

 _Fear._

They all felt it. They had always felt it, ever since they learned that they had been hunted down by some ancient Evil that wishes them dead so no one can stop its plans to end the world. They had always been living in this constant fear.

 _Will I be the one who'll die next?_

A question they always asked themselves everyday.

This uncertainty, it was unnerving. And their Slayer, did nothing to elevate them.

She helped them train, sure. She made them stronger, so they can protect themselves. But they knew it wasn't enough. They weren't like her. _They had the potential, but not really like her._

They weren't strong. They weren't brave. And hell, they didn't have the experience to fight this battle.

So for them, what she did for them wasn't enough.

So they questioned her. Doubted her abilities to lead them. Sent her away.

 _They were wrong to do that._

They knew that now.

They were just lucky that she came back.

But despite her return theough, their fears still hadn't left them. Instead more fears added to their current of not living pass tomorrow.

The return of their real Slayer had been both a blessing and a curse for them. She came back, got that special axe thingy and even came up with a plan on how to defeat the evil that was threatening to destroy them all.

But the said plan involved them fighting in the front lines of the battle, and it was ten times more riskier for them, because not only could they die sooner, they also have the pressure of what would happen if they didn't succeeded in this fight.

 _They were afraid._

Afraid that their training wouldn't be enough to hold the bad guys back long enough for the spell, that Buffy and her friends prepared, to work. Afraid that the spell wouldn't work at all. Afraid that they might lose tomorrow. Afraid that they might fail to protect the world they all know and love.

But even if they did miraculously succeeded tomorrow, they were all still afraid.

Afraid that some might not live to see the peace they fought for. Afraid that they might suffer more loses before they could feel the victory they'd achieve. Afraid of how they would move on after everything was over.

 _Fear._

It plagued all of them.

Fortunately for them, their leaders had decided that they'd be given an entire day and night to themselves before they would go to battle the next day. Hopefully this little day off of theirs would be enough to at least help them get over their fears.

 **(O.O)**

 _Regret._

He had a lot of regrets in his life. Not being able to save Jesse. Almost raping Buffy when he was possessed by those hyena spirit. Not going to college. Summoning that sing and dance demon that killed a lot of people. Not marrying Anya.

 _And man, that was his greatest regret._

He had turn his back on the woman he loved because he wasn't man enough to admit to her that he was afraid. Afraid that he might turn out to be a man like his father. Someone who hurt the people he cared about.

A lot of good that did to him. Because he still ended up hurting the most important person in the world to him. He ended up driving that person to become a demon again. To give up her humanity because of the pain he caused her.

 _He was forever ashamed of what he'd done._

He was only lucky that Anya choose to become human again, because if she hadn't, then he'd be partly to blame for all the people she would've killed as a demon.

But right now, as he finished making love with the said woman on a stranger's bed, he'd been wishing that she hadn't returned to being human. As she snuggled closer on his arm, he's been wishing that she was still a demon, at least then if they did lose, then she would at least survive long enough to find a way to stop the end of the universe from happening.

 _Or just find a way to still live when the universe does end up destroyed._

So yeah, he'd been wishing such a thing.

Because that was all he could do. Wish. Hope. And pray that they, most especially Anya, would survive tomorrow's battle. Because if she does, then he'd at least have a chance to make everything up to her until then.

 _If he too lived long enough for that._

 **(O.O)**

 _Grief._

It had been moments like these where she really felt _her_ loss. Where _her_ presence was really missed. She knew that if Tara were here _she'd_ be able to say something that would elevate her the fear she had on herself. Her own self-doubt. _If she were here_ , she was certain she wouldn't be feeling so much pressure at the moment when it came to being relied on doing heavy magics. She knew _she'd_ give her the confidence to do everything and the strength to finish the job.

That was _her_ real power. _She_ was the one who gave her assurance, hope, faith and strength to do the impossible.

 _Her Tara was just that special_.

But she was no longer there. And Willow felt her lost now more than ever as she continued to study the spell she was about to perform tomorrow.

 _Your my big gun, Will._

That's what Buffy called her.

 _Her the big gun._

But right now she didn't feel big at all. She just felt so small and insignificant and was doomed to either fail or fall on the deep end. And she was-

"Are you okay?" A voice startled her out of her melancholic musing.

"Amy!" she exclaimed that person's name. "What-what are you doing here?!" she asked gesturing wildly at her room.

"I heard from that guy Andrew that you and Kennedy broke up this morning, and I guess I got worried and thought I'd bring you some homemade cookies and milk to cheer you up."

"Thanks, but you really didn't have to. Kennedy and I-we were never gonna make it. She was just so passionate, brash, hot-headed and a whole a lot of adjectives that so does not describe me. In other words she was the complete opposite of me."

"Or of Tara?" the brunette witch empathically added.

"Or of Tara," she agreed because it was the truth.

 _Kennedy._

She was the complete opposite of the woman she really loved and her passionate nature made Willow temporarily forget about that said woman for just a few moments. She made life easier for her, at least while they fought this new evil.

But for the last few days now, Kennedy wanted more from her. She wanted her gave her trust, her loyalty and her complete reliance. The woman wanted her to consider giving her everything she gave Tara, but she couldn't do that, at least not completely.

 _She just wasn't ready. And she doubts she'll ever will be._

And the young Potential couldn't see it that way though, and instead she had asked her to choose between her and her friends because she didn't understand why they were relying on the help of a soulless vampire and a defective Slayer to save the world.

 _But Willow had chosen her friends._

And she got angry at her for it and decided to end their relationship.

"She's not worth your tears, Willow," Amy said.

Surprised by what she said, she slowly touched her cheeks and felt wetness there.

 _When did I start crying?_ She asked herself, while wiping the said tears away.

"I-I don't understand. I mean, I cared for Kennedy, but I didn't love her, so why am I crying over her?" she asked as she continued to wipe away the tears that would not stop falling from her eyes.

"I don't think you're crying over your break up, Willow. I think you're crying because of the reason behind the break up. No lover should make you choose between her and your friends. Or the her or the world. If she did love you, she should've known how important your mission was for you and not put you in a situation where your loyalties and beliefs were tested."

She knew that. But she didn't think that was the reason for her tears either.

"Tara..." the red haired witch began, "I think I'm crying because I miss Tara. Kennedy breaking up with me was inevitable. I think we would've ended it soon or later. It just happened a bit sooner than expected. But the break up made me remember Tara and how I much I miss her."

Amy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she settled beside her on the bed. It wasn't hard for her to see that the redhead was still feeling the lost of her significant other. She may not have known Tara but it was clear as day just how much the red haired witch loved that woman; by how soft she uttered her name, the tender look that would appear in her eyes as she remembered her time with that woman. And the pain in her voice as she talked about how much she missed her.

"Tara was amazing. She was kind and gentle, yet at the same time very brave and courageous. She wasn't that strong in a physical sense but she always had this emotional strength to her that made me admire her even more. She was skilled and knew the ways of magic. She was just perfect and it hurts so much because I know I'll never find anyone like her. She was my stregth and she balances me like no other and I-and I-"

This time Amy hugged her and allowed the young woman to cry and grieve her lost lover.

 _She needs this._ The brunette thought.

Willow needed to let this out before she can really do what's needed to be done tomorrow. She needs to let the pain come out, before she can finally start the healing.

So she let her grieve and after that, she'll try to give her strength.

It was the least she could do considering she had led her astray the year before.

 **(O.O)**

 _Hope._

He had never told anyone this but ever since the destruction of the Council he had lost all hope in them winning this battle or at least not without any losses. He even went as far as predicting the either him or his Slayer would not survive by the end of everything.

He knew that the enemy was too strong and its forces outnumbered theirs exponentially.

So it had been natural for him to think that they would lose this fight or win the war but suffer more losses than they would be willing to give.

 _At least that was before Spike and his team came in._

And he could not help but chuckle at the irony of it.

His hope being returned to him by the people who he once viewed as the most despicable scums in the world. Because, even if they were scums in his eyes, he could not deny that in the very short time they had been in their midst they had done more good than all of them had been able to do in months.

Their resources were most definitely better than theirs, he admitted begrudgingly. That robot of theirs, April, had a very vast collections of information she could take within seconds off the little screen from her movable mini computer thing. And they also did not lack on information taken from books. For Ethan apparently found a way to magically create a potable library by conjuring a little pocket dimensions within his small carry-on luggage. Thus he giving access to an unlimited number of tomes.

 _It was a brilliant idea indeed!_

And add the fact that Spike and his team were also all quite skilled fighters and magic users, they were indeed quite a formidable group to work with in his book.

"Ripper, if you are just gonna sit and stare at that book all night instead memorizing the incantation for the spell to create this wormhole within the Hellmouth without actually destroying all of us, then you might as well leave this house and join those young Potentials who all decided to vacate the premises and temporarily live in the neighboring houses to get away from the stress. We don't need you hogging the books while you're busy daydreaming!"

Ethan Rayne, who had decided to join our research group earlier that day, called out and snapped the old Watcher out of his reverie.

"Ethan, I already told you to stop calling me that!" he told the former chaos mage irritatedly.

"Then stop acting like your younger self! Slacking isn't a very productive activity and it wastes our time! We need to finish learning this incantation or else we'll all end up dead when we fail to do the spell!" was mage's angry reply.

Giles was startled by his outburst that he could not help but utter an apology to the man, before hastily returning his focus on the book on his hands.

But once in a while he'd sneak glances at the other Brit in the room.

It was still new for him, this new responsible and reliable Ethan. So it's always still shock for him every time the other man would say or do something that he knew the old Ethan would never utter or act out. He's changed and for the better, as Giles could see.

Whatever Spike did to the man that had made him less of a spineless twat he once was, he wasn't certain. But nonetheless he appreciated what the vampire was able to accomplish.

He knows of Ethan's magical abilities. In fact, the man surpasses his own in more ways than one. But Giles was never able to get him to use his skills for good.

So seeing the injuries he sustained by trying to protect his Potential Slayers had proved to him that the former chaos mage had indeed turned a new leaf. It made Giles sort of happy to know this, because he knew Ethan would be a great asset to their team.

Combining all of Spike's team's abilities and resources to their own, he knew that they'd be unstoppable. The Fist would stand no chance against them, especially now that it's vessel had been destroyed by his own Slayer. All these variables added together was indeed enough to boost the man's hope and confidence on their victory tomorrow.

 **(O.O)**

 _Acceptance._

There were certain things in his unlife that he had a hard time accepting.

 _One of them was losing._

He hated the thought of losing, whether it was losing in a fight, which composed the majority of his unlife, or losing someone he cared for, which had happened to him on more than one occasion. But most importantly, he hated losing control of situations. He hated that a lot of things would not go his way, which was why he hated it when he came back to Sunnydale.

His return to town had showed him how little he had control over a lot of things there, particularly when it involved his Slayer.

 _His Slayer_ had proven to him countless times over the course of four months that he and his team had been there that his version of help was not needed nor was it appreciated. She had made certain that he understood that he was not the main character of the show. She pushed aside his comments and suggestions, ignored his advices and questioned his every actions, especially if they were not in lined with her ideas.

He often thought that she was being unfair to them, or more specifically to him. But he couldn't argue with her because he saw no point to it because the young woman would not listen to him anyway. So instead, he waited. He waited for the right moment where she would make a mistake and finally realized that _she needed him._

But when that moment came, it wasn't his help that she accepted but someone else's.

And that someone just happened to be another thing that he could not accept, and that was his Grandchilde, _Spike_.

If the past four month for him was hard, it didn't put a candle to the kind of torture he had been enduring for the past couple of days with the other vampire around.

In a short time he and his team were there, they had already established a good rapport amongst the young Potentials, a semi-civil working relationship with the Scoobies and his team, and most importantly, they were able to formulate an actual plan to defeat the First. They were just that good.

But it wasn't Spike's team's amazing abilities and contribution that pained the souled vampire with regards to the other vamp's presence in his Slayer's home, but the knowledge of the other vampire's special relationship with the said Slayer.

The conversation he had with Buffy the night before had been a painful slap in the face that got him to finally see the reality that he truly had lost the woman he loved.

For the past several months, he had been trying to reestablish some sort of relationship with the said woman, only to blocked by her cold and distant behavior. He had thought that she was just trying to be strong and that if he waited long enough, she'd crack and would finally open up to him.

 _But that didn't happened._

Or more specifically _it will never happen._

 _Because she didn't trust him._

That was what she said. That she didn't trust him to be enough to have her back. She didn't trusy him to rely on him when she needed to be weak. She didn't trust him to fight by her side like her equal.

 _She didn't trust him._

Of course, he understood her reasons that didn't mean that he accepted them.

In fact he still hadn't accepted it. And he doubted that he'd be able to really accept this.

Buffy not trusting him meant that the future that he envisioned of the two of them being together once he became human would never happen.

And he could not accept that.

 _A vampire with a soul will play a major role in the Apocalypse and receive a reward for his efforts._

His mind remembered the words of the Shanshu prophesy and Wesley's recent translation regarding the prophesy involving the possibility of him becoming human again.

 _There was hope for them to still be together._

So no, he will not accept that she didn't trust him. He will not accept that she trusted Spike more than him. And he will most definitely not trust that she had whatever sort of unreasonable feelings for the soulless vampire.

 _He simply will not accept it!_

Which is why tomorrow he will do whatever it takes to make sure he will end up the Champion the Powers all thought he was.

He has to do this, so Buffy will finally choose and accept him.

 **(O.O)**

 _Peace._

She knew peace. She remembered being able to experience the perfect version of it after she died to save the world. But after her friends resurrected her, she never thought she'd experience it again, unless, of course, death would once again take her-So yes, she never thought it was possible, until now.

Lying on a small cot down the basement and was snuggled very closely against the vampire, who a year ago she viewed as nothing but her conviently little fucktoy, she felt so at peace with herself that it almost leveled to the kind of serenity she felt when she was in Heaven.

 _It was a wonderful feeling._

All her worries? All her fears and insecuries? Gone. Because of the power of having someone who she trusted to watch out for her and have her back when she needed him. She felt protected in his arms, but not protected enough to feel weak and vulnerable when he wasn't around.

Spike made her feel protected and at the same time, he gave her confidence and strength.

And again, it was a wonderful feeling.

She knows that she could die tomorrow. But she wasn't afraid. She didn't felt the need to be. Because she knew that if she did die, Spike and his team would be able to pick up the slack and actually rescue the world.

 _She trusted them._

It felt nice, having someone like him in her team.

She was about to fall back to sleep when she felt the familiar feeling of being watched. Looking up, she glared at the man standing a few feet from the cot she shared with her vampire.

"Well, aren't you two just cute!" the man stated, his thick accent resonated throughout the room.

She choose to ignore the comment, instead opting to continue her glaring at the man.

"Aww, don't give me that look, darling. I'll have you know that I was helping you appreciate what you're having right now," he told her.

Buffy continued her glaring, but was slowly extricating herself from her vampire's hold. She wasn't gonna be doing anything, especially arguing with the man who was suppose to be dead, while being in the arms of _her lover._ She didn't want to wake him up after all. So she slowly and gently, as possible, removed herself from the vampire's comfortable embrace.

After successfully removing herself from his grasps, she slowly sat up and once again turned to glare at her unwanted visitor.

"What's a matter, sweetheart, not even gonna say anything to me? And here I thought we connected, you and I."

"You're not him," she finally said, for the first time since the man's arrival.

"Aaah, so she does speak!" This only earned him another fierce glare. Sighing, he continued. "No, I'm obviously not him. You killed him right and proper. Terrible loss, really. This man was my good right arm. 'Course, it don't pain me too much. Don't need an arm, when I got an army." He smiled evilly.

She scoffed at his words. "An army of vampires. However will I fight?" was her sarcastic comeback.

"Every day our numbers swell. But then you do have an army of your own. A couple of vampires, few magic users, a couple of ex-Watchers, some demon hunters, and oh! Not to mention some thirty-odd pimply-faced girls who don't know the pointy end of a stake." He feigned concerned look. "Maybe I should call this off?"

"Hey, have you ever considered a cooler name? I mean, since you're incorporeal and basically powerless. How about "The Taunter?" Strikes fear in the heart, don't ya think?"

"I will overrun this Earth. And when my army outnumbers the humans on this Earth, the scales will tip and I will be made flesh. Then I will destroy everything in the univ-"

"Talk on," she cut him off, "I'm not afraid of you."

The First rolled its eyes. "You should be little girl." It then turned and stared at the sleeping vampire behind her. "'Cause he can't help you. Nor his team, nor your friends, certainly not your wanna-slay brigade. None of those girlies will ever know real power unless you're dead. You know the drill-" It then morphed into Buffy's form. "Into every generation, a slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength and skill to— There's that word again. What you are. How you'll die. Alone. Where's your snappy comeback?"

"You're right," was all Buffy said, her face strangely was remaining expressionless.

"Hmm. Not your best," it said with a huff.

 _It_ didn't like that _its_ opponent closed off so easily. Buffy made _it_ feel uneasy because of how the she suddenly became unreadable at that moment. She made _it_ think that she was hiding something from them.

 _What it was?_

 _It_ didn't have a clue. _It_ hadn't been able to get anything from their team since the other vampire and his team turned up to town. _It_ was annoyed to no end by fact that they had been able to block _its_ ability to listen in on _its_ enemies' plans.

 _It_ wanted to say more. To get the woman to open up more to them so _it_ can get an idea on what _its_ opponents were planning. But _it_ wasn't able to do so as _it_ was cut off by the startling voice of the vampire, who had seemed to be in a nightmare.

"I'm drowning in footwear!" the vampire cried as he sat up with a start. Buffy turned to look at him not noticing that her conversation partner had disappears. "Weird dream," was the vampire's explanation, before he noticed the fact that his Slayer was standing in the middle of the room. "Buffy? Is something wrong?" he asked her with a concerned look.

She smiled at this behavior then turned to where the First had been standing only to find it was no longer there. Seeing that they were alone again, she finally answered, "No, nothing's wrong. It's just that I realized something right now. Something that really never occurred to me before." She approached the cot and slowly sat down beside the vampire.

"What's that, pet?" he asked adjusting himself a bit to let her lay back down with him again.

"I just realized that we're gonna win tomorrow."

He scoffed at her statement. "Of course, we will. Been telling you this since last night when we came up with the bloody plan, haven't I?"

"Yeah, yeah, you have. It was just that right until now, I hadn't believed it."

"What made you change your mind then?" Curiosity was evident in his voice.

"Because tonight I learned that for the first time since this war began, we are finally one step ahead of our enemy," she answered, snaking her arm around his body. "And I have you and your team to thank for that."

"What? Amy merely did a Silencing spell to prevent outside forces from listening in on our conversations and plans. There was nothing really to it, luv. I'll bet Red could do the same thing too," he said it like it was no big thing.

"Yeah, but we never were able to think of such things." She moved a bit and stared up at him. "In fact, there were a lot of things that we never thought of until you guys came into the picture." She gave him a grateful smile, before snuggling deeper in to his arms. "You and your team really saved us, Spike."

"If I had a soul, pet, I'd say that you're giving us far too much credit, luv. But since imma selfish bastard, I'll say that'd I'm happy to have helped, Slayer," he told her as he tightened his hold on her. It didn't take long before she felt him slump a bit indicating that he was finally asleep again.

She smiled at this and once again the thought of their possible victory on the next day's apocalyptic battle crossed her mind.

She wasn't afraid.

There was nothing to fear after all.

She was ready.

They were all ready.

They will win this fight.

And then, when everything was over, she will finally fully enjoy the great feeling of peace in the arms of the man she cared so much that she might just call it love...

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

Well that was that. I thank you for reading and please don't forget to leave a review. They all make me very happy!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Notes:**

Hello! Surprise! I bet that when I said I was gonna be updating faster you guys didn't expect it to be this soon! But here I am! I am really updating faster than expected! Of course this story has been finished for some time only waiting to be edited and posted. But my awesome beta is doing a very quick and awesome job with editing this story so my fast updates are because of her. So thank you, **djellibabe**! So without further delay, please read and enjoy!

 **(O.O)**

 _ **The time has come for the ultimate battle.**_ A distorted voice echoed throughout the cloudy plains of the ether.

 _ **Do you think that they will stand a chance in this fight, sister?**_ Another voiced echoed as its owner viewed the images reflected on the pool of water below the two shadowy figures.

 _ **I do not think, brother, I know. This battle's outcome has already been foretold many eons ago. We need not worry of the outcome. The First's defeat has already been prophesied.**_ The first voice told its companion.

 _ **But what of the players. These were not the same pieces that were supposed to compose the final battle.**_ The second voice uttered with concern.

 _ **No, they were not. The Souled One was not suppose to be in this fight. Our Chosen was suppose to send him back to his city. But worry not. This is but a minor alteration.**_ Replied the owner of the first voice.

 _ **An alteration that could be proven fatal, am I not right?**_ The second voice reminded. _ **The crystal around the Soulled One's neck is an unknown variable in the mix. A variable that could destroy everything we had planned.**_

 _ **Perhaps.**_ Was the first voice's only reply.

 _ **Are we not suppose to intervene?**_ The second voice asked.

 _ **We have intervened enough, brother. Let our warriors solve their own problems. All we can now do is watch and enjoy the show.**_ The owner the first voice said.

 _ **This is a very dangerous game you are playing, Destiny.**_ The second voice's owner cautioned.

 _ **Why, Fate? Are you afraid?**_ Destiny taunted her brother.

 _ **Perish the thought. I am simply reminding you that if we are not careful, we might earn the attention of our betters.**_ Fate stated.

 _ **The Almighty One has washed His hands of these lower beings for a millennia now. We need not worry of the possibility of His wrath.**_ She told her brother.

 _ **Perhaps.**_ Was his reply.

 _ **Ooooh! It seems they are all getting ready for the battle. Our Chosen One is giving her speech!**_ The female Higher Being replied.

 _ **Stand down, sister, we cannot listen to her words if you continue on with such unruly behavior.**_ The other scolded.

 _ **Very well...**_ Destiny conceded.

 **(O.O)**

"I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there's evil, and that I was Chosen to fight it. I wish, a whole lot of the time, that I hadn't been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn't been either. But this isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when its army is ready, now. Today, we're opening the seal. We're going down into the Hellmouth, and we're finishing this once and for all. You guys know the plan and you all know the risks. Last night, I gave you all a choice to either stay or leave, and I am glad a lot of you have chosen to stay and fight. Today, we will fight and not just for ourselves but for everyone. For the ones we love, the ones we don't love or even give a crap about and the ones we haven't met yet but will mean so much more to us one day. Today, we will fight for our future and everyone else's future. We-"

She had drowned out the rest of her counterpart's speech from then on. She hadn't needed to listen to such things. She knew her job already. She understood the risks and was prepared to take them with open her arms.

 _Too bad that the same could not be said for a lot of the other occupants in the room._

She can still sense the fear in the young Potentials that composed the majority of their fighters. She can see the worried looks in their eyes. And because of all these things, she knew that they needed to hear what Buffy had to say to them.

 _This was important._

They needed this talk. They needed this reminder of what they were fighting for, and she was glad that her sister Slayer was there to pick up on her slack.

 _She was more leader material compared to me after all._ She sighed after such thoughts crossed her mind.

There had been a time in her life when she would have given anything to be the leader of a team, or more specifically to be the leader of Buffy's team.

Buffy, who she once rudely referred to as Little Miss I-can-do-no-wrong, had everything she had ever wanted. A Watcher who loved her like his own child. A family who cared for her. A house to call her home. And friends who always stood by her side. Not to mention a very attractive and dangerous lover.

Well, let's just say that because of all these things she was truly jealous of her.

But that was back then. When she was young and had no idea she could actually gain her own version of a happy ending all on her own and without having to steal it from anyone. Back then when she thought the world was always against her. Back then when she didn't have Spike and every one of her friends beside her.

Yeah, younger version of her was indeed jealous of her blonde sister Slayer. But not anymore.

As said, she now had everything she wanted, and she wouldn't trade it for anything else, including the life Buffy was living-well, especially not the life her blonde counterpart was living.

In the very few short days she had been in Sunnydale, there was one thing she found out that made her come to this conclusion of not wanting what Buffy had anymore, and that is that what she had wasn't all that great.

If what she had witnessed in those few days were of any indication, then she realized right then that Buffy's life wasn't as perfect as she always thought it was. It was a sad sight to see that the woman she envied so much a few years back found very little joy on the things she had been jealous of to begin with.

Everything Buffy had that she had once wanted made the other young woman miserable. Her family. Her friends. Even her Calling. They all found a way to make her life unbearable. It was only a wonder for her that the blonde Slayer had even lasted this long.

 _The girl was alone._

Though surrounded with people she cared about, none of them truly understood her or her duty. None of them truly saw the woman behind the warrior. And most importantly, none of them were really able to fight along side her.

They just didn't get her.

And she pitied her for that.

She realized right then and there that she was more fortunate because even though she had no one before, at least she wasn't forced to live everyday making everyone think that she was okay when she really wasn't. At least she knew why she was miserable and that was because she always had got it in her head that the world hated her, thus making her think that she should hate the world in return and take from it what she thought she deserved.

She, herself, was the cause of her own misery.

But that wasn't the case with Buffy. Unlike her, her sister Slayer wasn't the one causing her own misery, it was the people around her. It was her family and friends that were making it hard for her. Their high expectations and bigoted , self-centered beliefs that they continuously forced on their Slayer, those things were making it hard for the blonde to move on with a life that would've made her happy.

She was sorry for her.

Which is why she hadn't said anything when Spike was pushed by the Powers' orders via Whistler towards her sister Slayer even though it pained her that there was another person in her life who was be taken away from her. She simply thought that Buffy at the very least needed Spike more than her, thus she allowed the couple to rekindle whatever relationship they had with the one another without putting much of a fight.

And it seemed she had been right to do so.

Buffy did a one hundred eighty change in her behavior after that night when Spike came for her. Whatever happened between the two-well it helped her sister Slayer a lot.

The blonde had returned to that brave, independent and freakishly strong woman Faith remembered and it put her at ease to see that woman again because she knew that in this fight, in order for them to win-they would be seriously needing that woman.

As she listened to the blonde's ending speech, she took a quick glance at everyone in the room and smiled at how the atmosphere had changed. The fear everyone was feeling was no longer there, and was replaced with determination.

 _They were ready._

As Buffy told everyone to go outside and ride the bus, which they had procured the night before, she took another quick glance at everyone before her eyes landed on a certain souled vampire in the room, who since the night before, had continuously been keeping to himself. She knew something was bothering him ever since he sent every member of his team back to LA the night before under the context of them having to build a secondary front in case their team failed.

No one really questioned him and all just simply agreed to his logic.

But she noticed something that no one in Angel's team saw about the vampire, and that was the strange look the man had as he told his friends to leave. It was the look of someone who knew he wouldn't be seeing them again. It was a look that said "goodbye" instead of "I'll be seeing you guys soon".

She didn't like the look he had and had tried to talk to him about it after his friends left. But the vampire kept a tight lip and simply brushed off her concerns, telling her it was nothing and that she was over thinking things.

But somehow she knew deep down that was not the case.

"This is pretty handy," she heard the souled vampire say as she neared him. He was eying the sky which was perfectly covered with dark clouds, courtesy of a spell Ethan did so they could accommodate the needs of their two solar allergic companions.

"Yeah, it is. Spike thought it would've been nice if we found a way for him to fight during the day, and since we couldn't recreate the Gem of Amara. This was the closest thing we found to a solution," the brunette Slayer explained.

"So this was another one of Spike's ingenious ideas, huh?" she heard the vampire muttered dejectedly.

This was another thing that made her worried about the souled vampire. This sudden inferior behavior towards the other vampire in their group. Since the other night, she had noticed that Angel had been letting out these negative comparative comments between him and Spike. Now this shouldn't have bothered her too much since the said souled vampire had been letting go of stupid degrading comments towards her leader and her teammates since they got there three nights ago. But since the other night these comments had mostly been directed at himself instead of Spike and it both irked and worried the brunette Slayer.

"Angel, are you okay?" she asked him.

"Hm? Why are you asking?" he asked her in return.

"Well, it seemed that there's something bothering you and I was wondering-" she stopped herself as she noticed that the souled vampire wasn't even listening to her because instead his attention was solely focused on the blonde couple in front of them.

"What do you mean you don't want to sit on the bus?" she heard Buffy asked her blonde vampire leader.

"It's not about not wanting to sit with you lot on the bus, it's simply because I'm the designated driver of our van, so that means I am riding with my team," was Spike's reply.

"But-"

"Don't worry, luv. I promise that I'll be right behind you lot the entire time. You don't need to stress that pretty little head of yours. I'm not leaving you to fight this battle alone, Buffy."

A relieved look graced her sister Slayer's features before it was immediately replaced by a brave and determined look.

"She really trusts him, doesn't she?" she heard Angel say.

She looked up to him and saw the sad look in his own eyes. It was right then that she understood what was really bothering the vampire.

"Yeah-I guess," was all she could muster to say.

"I thought as much." An awkward pause came between them before the vampire spoke again. "Faith, what are the chances that this spell would fail and Spike and the rest of us would end up getting stuck in the Hellmouth?" he had suddenly asked.

"Umm-well, this is a complex spell, but Ethan and Amy did all the necessary research too so-"

"But it can still fail, right?"

"Well, if Spike doesn't do his part well- then I guess it can?" A serious frown graced the vamp's handsome face. "But hey! No need to worry about that Angel! As long as we let Ethan and Giles finish the spell and Spike does his part as well, then nothing will happen. All we need to worry about, big guy, is protecting my annoying leader, who happens to be your Grandchilde."

"Well, I guess it's still a good thing that I have a plan B, in case everything fails," he stated.

"Plan B? What do you mean?" she asked him, looking even more suspiciously at the souled vampire.

But he had ignored her and instead, he started making his way towards the bus.

"Goodbye, Faith. It really was good to see you again. And I am glad you have finally been able to redeem yourself," was the last she heard of him as he continued to leave her side.

Her stomach clenched at that and again a strange feeling of dread came over her.

 _What did he mean? What plan B? Why did he just said goodbye?_

Questions rolled inside her head as he watched Angel walk away from her. She wanted to call him back. Ask him what was wrong and what did he mean , but she didn't have time to because her teammates were already asking her to board the bus.

She looked conflicted, but her team's insistence that she got on their van won over, so she was forced to let the matter go.

She just hoped that she'd get a chance talk to the souled vampire again and have him explain all about it before the final battle.

 **(O.O)**

 _They were ready._

Buffy thought as she watched her companions loaded on the bus that they had commandeer from her previous place of employment. She was a bit happy to note that her little army of Potentials no longer showed signs of fear as she had seen in their faces a few moments earlier before she gave her little speech.

She was a bit proud of herself too for giving it. She hadn't thought of herself as someone who gave good speeches but after listening to Spike talk to his team about how they all needed to get out of this fight alive, she immediately thought that it was essential that she too gave something to her own band of warriors.

She'd made the right choice.

Looking at all their faces, it looked like they were all ready to go to battle. And not only that, it looked like they, too, all believed that they would win this fight.

"As long as we all stick to the plan. Nothing bad is gonna happen," she muttered to herself, before pausing in the middle of her climbing on the bus upon realizing the stupidity of what she had just uttered.

 _Oh, crap!_ The Slayer thought. _I just jinxed us._

She knew she shouldn't have said that, because now that she had, she was certain that something bad was indeed gonna happen. She was now worried about this fight.

Were they now gonna lose because of what she had done? Because of the words she had unconsciously uttered? Were they all gonna die today? Will the world end because of her?

Questions as such popped inside her head and a large frown showed on her face.

"Buffy, is everything alright?" the gentle British accented voice of her mentor/father-figure asked the frozen Slayer.

"Huh?" was her only response as she looked up at the bus' designated driver.

"I asked if you were alright, my dear. You had suddenly stopped. Did you forget something?" he asked her.

"Oh! Nothing, I was just thinking if whether or not I locked the house," she lied. No sense scaring her companions and informing all of them of her mistake.

"Don't worry about it, Buffster! I'm sure no one's around to steal anything from us. After all, the town is still basically deserted," Xander, who was sitting right behind Giles told her.

She faked a smile. "You're right," she said before finally stepping on the bus.

After watching her walk towards the unoccupied seat in the bus, her Watcher finally started the engine and began driving all of them towards Sunnydale High School, where their final fight was going to happen. As the bus rolled on, she opted to watch out the window, hoping that the view would distract her from remembering what she had said moments earlier.

It didn't work.

She wasn't distracted nor were her newly found fears eleviated.

She had doomed them all. They were all gonna die today and the world would be lost for all eternity. Not to mention that the whole universe was also gonna suffer for her stupidity.

She let out a groan. She simply didn't know where all this sudden negativity was coming from but she knew she had to get rid of it before they got to their destination.

Too bad it was easier said than done.

Left in her own thoughts, she was more and more presented with various scenarios of their defeat. It was wrong to think this way. She was being stupid. They were but a few minutes before they arrived at the high school and she was letting herself grow fearful of the upcoming battle.

 _Why had this come now?_ She asked herself

She hadn't felt this way yesterday, nor did she feel it earlier. It was only while she was riding on the bus that she was feeling this way. She kept questioning the oddity of her emotions but then was cut off when a loud honking sound echoed beside the bus. She turned to the window and saw Spike's team's van signaling Giles to pull over.

Confusion hit her.

What the heck?

Immediately she stood up and walked to meet up with the vampire and Amy, who were both on their way towards the bus.

"What seems to be the problem?" Giles asked looking irritatedly at the two. "Did you forget something?"

"Not quite, Watcher?" Spike answered but his eyes weren't on the older man nor were they on the Slayer.

Instead, both his and Amy's eyes were on top of the bus, making the Slayer and the Watcher follow their eyes.

A fire suddenly appeared on top of the bus and a loud screeching scream echoed all around, making everyone, save the souless vampire and brunette witch, cover their ears.

The noise died out and immediately her Watcher interrogated the pair.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he cried staring at the vampire.

"That, mate, was an Irritum. A demon that causes despair and depression. Must've been sent by the First to get to your lot before we faced them. Could've seriously dealt a huge blow on the morale of your troops, Slayer," Spike explained.

"It was a good thing ole Jonathan was able to sense it. He's really good at sensing non-corporeal demons!" Amy followed, "Well, now that that's settled. Let's get back to getting this show on the road." She then turned towards their van once again.

Buffy had half listened to the exchange but overall she was just feeling overwhelmed by the sudden return of her strength and confidence. And add the fact that her vampire was standing in front of her, reassuring everyone that it was alright, she couldn't help herself but feel happy and relieved that she had suddenly launched herself at her vampire.

"Woah!" was all he could say as he was busy trying not to fall from the impact. "Bloody hell. You alright, pet?" he asked looking worriedly down at her.

She said nothing, but instead, she opted to tighten her hold on him.

Understanding why she was doing this, the vampire, patted her back and tried to reassure her. "It's alright, luv. We're gonna win this fight, remember? We're gonna beat this bastard back to whatever hell its from and then you're gonna get your first real vacation in years together with yours truly."

A little laugh escaped her at that, signifying that she was finally alright. She released him before finally looking straight into his oceanic blue eyes.

"I love the sound of that," she told him with a gentle smile, which he returned.

It was the perfect moment for them to kiss. At least before someone decided to interrupt them.

"Come on, you two, can't you guys wait until after we finish kicking the First's big butt before doing all that icky yucky sweet stuff. Some of us here are not ready to see her sister go beyond the G-rated stuff! Especially with her best friend!" Dawn told them from the bus' window.

Buffy glared at her sister, while her vampire chuckled at her words.

But both were sufficiently chastened enough that they agreed to do what they were planning to do at a later time and date, and at somewhere more private than where they were at the moment.

Buffy returned to the bus, after watching the blond vampire return to his van, with a smile still on her face. She ignored the weird looks some potentials sent her way, and also the worried looks her friends gave her. She ignored the pained look on Angel's face as she passed by his seat.

 _It didn't matter._

None of those things mattered to her at the moment. She couldn't care less about what other people thought about her, she wasn't in the mood to care about them. She was just so happy and giddy. Both were surprising emotions for her considering how she had felt a few moments ago. But since the negative feelings she had earlier were all gone, of course she had Amy killing that demon to thank for that, she didn't mind the ones she had at the moment.

In fact, she preferred them. Because she was not only happy and confident again that they were gonna win this fight, she was also excited. Excited for this fight and for the end of it. Because she knew what lay ahead at the end of it.

She sat back on her seat, and began imagining the kind of life she would have after this fight.

 _A life together with Spike._

 **(O.O)**

The group got off their designated vehicles and eyed the large building in front of them with wary eyes. It didn't seem as threatening as they all thought it should be considering that their enemy's army lay beneath it. Their leader, a beautiful, blonde haired young woman walked up to the front of the group and looked at everyone.

They could see the confidence, courage and strength in her eyes as she said the next words.

"Alright, this is it guys. You all know what to do and where you all are required to be. Just remember, if it tries to kill you, you kill it back. Let's go!" And then she marched straight to the entrance of Hell along with everyone.

They hadn't reached the building just yet and already they were attacked. Bringers. One of the First's minions had already showed their faces. Attacking the group ruthlessly under their master's orders. Blades clash and sounds of bodies dropping dead on the floor were immediately heard.

 **(O.O)**

Running.

Some of the members of the group were running to their designated positions. They had to look for somewhere safe for them to perform the spell.

The group arrived in a vacant room and immediately the two witches were shoved inside by the scarred face brunette Potential.

"Just do your thing," the Potential said, the venom in her voice was still there but at least that was all she had been doing since she had been assigned the night before to protect the two witches.

She may no longer be in a relationship with the red-haired witch in the room, but she was still a Potential and she still felt responsible to at least save the world, which was why she had said nothing but accepted the task assigned to her.

The red-haired witch, Willow, gave her a sad look before turning to face the other witch in the room. She watched in admiration as the young woman meticulously yet quickly prepared their altar for their spell.

The brunette witch looked up to her and nodded, finally finishing up on the preparations.

Willow knelt down on the opposite side of the woman, her hand holding up above the small altar in front of them the ancient weapon her friend had procured a few nights ago. She was gonna do it. Break the rules that had been set in stone for thousands of years, all for the sake of her friends.

 _Wrong._ A voice echoed in her mind. _You're not doing this just for Buffy remember?_

It was right, she wasn't doing this just for Buffy. She wasn't doing this for any selfish reasons other than to save the lives of everyone in their planet. Of everyone in the universe.

 _But can you really do it?_ Another voice, one much darker than the first asked her inside her head. _Are you sure you won't end up being the cause of it's destruction?_

"It's okay, Willow, we can do this," her witch companion told her, forcing the dark voice away from her mind. "And I promise, I'm not gonna let you go off the rails again. I learned from my mistakes."

The other woman's words comforted her and strengthened back her resolve. After one quick nod at her, the redhead began chanting.

 **(O.O)**

Giles stood beside a chanting Ethan right outside the school building. He was waiting. Waiting for the former chaos mage to finish his part of the plan so he could start actually contributing . It wasn't a lot of work but it took a lot of him to stand there for a few minutes doing nothing while his companions were all fighting for their lives. He wanted for them to hurry.

" _ **Albus ere'tus, miliatus!**_ From shadows of Hell to corners of Heaven, I bid ye to open thy gate! Cronos, heed my plea! So mote it be!" Ethan's words resounded around the empty grounds before a crack of lightning was heard in front of the man. A swirl of wind and lightning suddenly appeared before the former chaos mage until it grew big enough to reveal a vortex of some kind.

The hair on the Watcher's back began to rise as he stared at the ominous portal. He tensed at the sight of it. It had been nearly two years since he had seen one and his last memory of such a portal was not a good one. He could only pray that this one wouldn't be the cause of death of his precious Slayer for the third time around.

"Hurry, Ripper. We only have a few minutes to perform the spell," the other Brit told him before walking through the portal. The sun began to reappear at his companion's disappearance, indicating that the spell the former chaos mage used was no longer in effect.

The Watcher glared at where the man had disappeared.

 _I really hate it when he calls me that._ He thought before sighing resignation, knowing full well that there was no use dwelling on it any longer, and started moving inside the portal to follow him.

When all this was over he will most definitely take a long vacation! He promised himself as the portal enveloped him.

 **(O.O)**

They had just finished cutting down one of the Bringers that had came their way and waited cautiously for the next batch to arrive. Their leaders or shall we say, the stronger and nonhuman members of their group had gone down to the basement already, while they were left to deal with any enemy that entered their part of the building. Their task was simple, make sure nothing evil leaves the school grounds. They were tasked to take down anything that tried. Even an ancient vampire that even their Slayer had a hard time defeating was included in that anything.

"Looks like more are coming!" Andrew cried looking at Anya, his assigned companion for that fight, who was busy stabbing an already dead Bringer on the ground.

"Big." **Stab**. "Floppy." **Stab.** "Hoppy." **Stab.** "Scary." **Stab**. "Bunnies!" she cried in every stab, before turning to face the new arrivals. Angry eyes stared bravely at her opponents as she once again raised her sword in preparation to attack.

The young sandy blond man stared in awe at his companion. He had thought that he was the most unlucky of them all because he had been teamed up with the woman in front of him. She was like him in a way, scared and weak, and yet looking at her, sword raised calling out to the bunni-no, wait! Bringer! They were Bringers! She was calling out to the Bringers and killing them off one by one!

 _She was amazing._

"Watch out!" she cried, pulling him out of his reverie and to the enemy who was about to gut him.

This was it! He was finally gonna die.

Blood splattered in front of him, but to his surprise it wasn't his blood that had spilled.

"Stop daydreaming, you idiot! And start fighting back!" Anya told him while handing him his sword back. He answered her with a nod before his eyes widened yet again as he saw the events that transpired next.

She had just turned her back away from him when a Bringer pierced its blade into her stomach.

A gasp escaped her lips, before the Bringer pulled its weapon from her body letting her fall on the floor.

"Noooooo!" the young man cried as he raised his weapon and killed the monster responsible for his companion's pain.

 **(O.O)**

In all honesty, Angel was beginning to think that the little trinket on his neck was useless and he was actually okay with that, since it seemed that the plan of creating a blackhole within the Hellmouth that would send the hell dimension into another dimension was in the final process of its completion. Spike was nearly finish casting the spell to open a portal that would serve as a vacuum to suck the entire hell dimension in. Aside from that, him, Buffy and the rest of the warriors near the entrance of the dimension was doing pretty well in holding down the enemy and making sure none of them were able to leave the place.

He looked around at his companions and could not help but smile at how well each were able to fight the strong ancient vampires. He simply guessed that Willow and Amy's spell to turn the Potentials with them into Slayers had worked considering how easily the Potentials now were able to kill their enemies.

He had been too busy fighting his enemies and observing his companions to notice the slight glow on the necklace around his neck. It was only when he began to feel it heat up against his chest that he looked down at it.

"What the-" he uttered before he was suddenly pushed back towards the cave's entrance and into the massive skylight that appeared from the ceiling. His body was in the sun yet he wasn't burning, adding only more confusion to his panicked mind.

"Buffy!" he cried out to his former lover, who immediately ran towards him.

"Angel!" she called back.

The light from the sun was absorbed by the thing around his neck and all of a sudden beam of light reflected from it towards the vampires within the cave.

He looked around the cave once again and saw that all their enemies that were hit by the light dusted immediately. His gaze went to the only other vampire in the group and relief came to him when he saw that his grandchilde was spared from the attack, because one of his companions were able to knock him to the ground to avoid the beam of light.

"Angel, what the heck are you doing?" Buffy asked him.

His eyes turned back to his Slayer, and a sad smile came upon his lips.

"Looks like your plan's gonna have to wait for another Hellmouth, Buffy, 'cause I'm going to be the one who will destroy this one."

"What?! What are you talking about?"

"I don't understand it myself. But for some reason, I just know that this was what I was meant to do," he told her.

The ground was beginning to shake and the Potentials were all confused as to what to do.

"Faith!" the blonde Slayer called out to her sister Slayer, "Hurry up and get everyone out of here!"

"The hell, B?!" the young brunette stated before taking in the sight of the souled vampire under the sun. "Angel?" she uttered.

"Get them out of here!" Buffy ordered, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Right!" She nodded her head and turned to the Potentials-now-Slayers. "You heard the girl! Start running towards the exit everyone!" she said as hurriedly ushered all the young fighters out.

When the last girl was finally running up the stairs towards the exit she immediately turned to the three remaining people down in the cave.

"Angel, Buffy, Spike! Come on! This place is going down!" she called out.

"You heard the girl, you grand poof! Whatever you did the First's army is dead and this place is gonna come down on us! So get that shiny trinket off that neck of yours so we can get out of here!" Spike told him.

"I can't, Spike," was all he said.

"Wha-"

"This is my last battle. I'm ending this now."

"Dammit, Angel, stop being a stubborn idiot already! You've done enough! You've killed all the evil vamps! Spike may not have finished the spell but whatever that thing did is destroying this place for us. So there's no need for you to stay! We need to get out of here while we still can!" Buffy told him moving towards his body and holding his arm ready to pull him at any moment.

"It's not that I don't want to get out, Buffy. It's because I can't. Whatever this thing did, it's still doing it? Well, it's keeping me in place. It's doing something to my soul," he explained.

"Angel..."

"I'm feeling my soul, Buffy, and for the first time, I am actually grateful that I have it. It wants me to finish this, I want to finish this. Let me do this."

The Slayer saw the sincerity in his eyes and knew that he meant every word. Who was she to take this from him? She raised her hand and cupped his cheek.

"Thank you," she told him.

"I love you too," was his answer. Then he turned his eyes to face the other vampire with them. "Take care of her," he told him.

"Like I need you to tell me that, wanker," the blonde vampire said, before reaching out to the Slayer and pulling her towards him. "Goodbye, Angel," he told him, before running towards the exit, dragging the blond Slayer by her hand and leaving the souled vampire behind.

He watched the couple run before he began to feel his body burn. It was painful but he didn't see it that way. The pain was nothing compared to the relief he felt at the idea that finally he was redeemed. And for that, he was happy.

 **(O.O)**

Her eyes stared at the crumbling streets behind them. She was afraid. But it wasn't because of the fact that the entire town was suddenly falling to pieces. It was more of the fact that her sister and bestfriend were still not with them. She hadn't seen Buffy or Spike board the bus or the van. Heck, she hadn't seen them leave the school at all. She didn't know what happened down at the Hellmouth, which is why she was really afraid that whatever it was must've been what was causing her sister and friend's delay in following them. She kept a close eye though at the sight behind them while Xander drove the bus following Spike's van just in case she'd see her sister and friend do another miracle.

And her efforts were immediately rewarded for she indeed saw the pair above Sunnydale Mall running and trying to follow the bus.

"Buffy! Spike!" she screamed.

Just as soon as she cried the pair's names both had jumped off the collapsing building and landed on the roof of the bus.

She hurriedly ran to the center of the vehicle where the rooftop window was. She opened the latch and immediately she found in her arms the tarpaulin wrapped body of her bestfriend.

 _They must've found this at the school._ She thought as she inspected the tarpaulin, which she found out was actually one of the school's announcement tarps.

"How is he?" She jumped a bit, before looking up to face her sister, who had just joined them inside the bus.

"I think he's okay," she answered.

"In a manner of speaking, luv," the vampire under the tarp said, "Still a bit crispy from our little run."

"Well, hang on a bit there, Spike, once we stop, let's see if we can get Ethan to do that spell again."

"Or transfer me to the van."

She listened to the two talk for a bit but was immediately distracted by the bus jumping a little. She hurriedly moved towards the window of the bus to look at what had happened. Her eyes immediately widened at the sight. The town was no longer there. Her home. Everything. It was gone!

She immediately ran outside the bus, which had just stopped, and followed some of her friends who went outside too.

She was even more surprised at the sight that greeted her. Sunnydale was now a crater! God what happened? Did the spell do this? Was this the spell's side effects?

 _Magic always has consequences._

She remembered Spike's words to her.

"What did this?" she heard Giles ask.

"It was Angel," she turned behind her to see her sister standing at the back, her face devoid of any emotion.

"What did he do?" Ethan asked, looking real ticked off.

And the youngest Summers couldn't really blame him. They all worked hard to make sure that everything happened according to plan. Angel's involvement threw everything out the window and it would be no wonder why Ethan, who was still recovering from his injuries he sustained a few nights ago would be angry.

"I don't know. Spike didn't even get to finish his spell when it happened. But whatever he did, it killed him along with the enemy and it also did all of this," her sister explained and pointed out to the crater that was once their home.

They were all silent after she said that. None of them really knew what to say after that. They hadn't been certain whether to comfort her for the loss of her once great love or not. It was because for the last several days, they hadn't really seen any indication that Buffy felt the same way for the souled vampire. They weren't really certain how their Slayer would be feeling about his eminent demise.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Willow asked, not knowing what else to say.

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

Well, that was that. Hope it wasn't too disappointing. I mean I did get to kill Angel, um-sort of. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Please leave review! Be seeing you all in the last chapter! Bye for now!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Notes:**

Hi! This is the final chapter of this fic and I have to tell you I am so happy that I have finally got the chance to post it. I am really thankful to all the people who supported this story. Thank you for your patience and for reading my story. I am grateful. Special thanks to **djellibabe** for her awsome beta work and continued support on this fic. I could never have finished this without her! Again, thank you and enjoy!

 **(O.O)**

He was no longer certain what he was going to do now that the battle was over. Quite a contrast to his thoughts from the night before, where he had planned to take the Slayer and her sister with him to Paris or somewhere far away for the vacation he had promised them after they won the fight with the First. Now though, he just didn't think it was a good idea to take Buffy or Dawn away with him. Not when they were all still feeling the loss of their home and everything they ever knew, then add the fact that there were now a total of twenty-something Slayers with them instead of two, chaos had found it's way into everyone's heads. Most especially Buffy's.

After Red's question about what they were supposed to do, which he had heard all the way within the cover of the bus, his Slayer had gone all General Mode. She immediately herald her troops to their next locations, which was the nearest hospital for the injured and the closest inn for the tired fighters, and then designated everyone to a necessary task to aid their group. The entire day, they had spent buying new clothes and food for everyone and getting settled into the motel. He remembered the Watcher spending most of his time on the phone calling his "associates" and informing them of the outcome of the battle. He even remembered rolling his eyes when he heard the old man tell whoever was on the other end of the line about the major mojo Red and Amy did to turn the Potentials they had with them into Slayers. It was typical that the old man would be more fixated on the fact that they now had more than one sacred weapon at their disposal.

 _It was a very Watcher thing of him to do._

But putting Giles' actions aside, he was more troubled with his Slayer's behavior. Her General Mode aside, he knew that there was something bothering his girl. Of course, it hadn't been hard for him to suss out what it was considering he was there when tall dark and broody made his own version of vampire flambé before their eyes. He knew that his old man's death was affecting the Slayer more than she was letting on. In fact he was certain she was really affected by it and was simply waiting for everyone to settle in before she can start mourning the damn bastard.

And it was because of this that he really had no idea how to proceed with his Slayer or if she was still his to begin with.

Angel's death had easily thrown the monkey wrench into the relationship they had slowly built over the last few days, and it gave him all the more reason to be angry at the damned bastard.

"You just couldn't of offed yourself without screwing my unlife along the way, could you?" he asked looking at the ceiling above. He knew that the other vampire couldn't hear him or maybe he could? He really wasn't certain where redeemed vampires went. Do they go to heaven? Were they forgiven for all the death and mayhem they had caused in their existence? He really wasn't certain.

He shook his head trying to vanish the complicated thoughts. He already had enough problems worrying about his relationship with Buffy, there really wasn't any sense adding the whole theological problems along with it.

"Buffy," he uttered, thinking back to the woman of his dreams.

They had promised each other that they would explore whatever they had after the battle was over, but would she still want to in the state she was in now? Grieving for his Grandsire? Would he want her to explore it with him while she was like that?

He knew the answer the moment the question came to his mind.

 _No, I don't want her like that_. He thought with a sad look of his handsome features.

He didn't want the Slayer coming to him to help her get over the pain of losing her Great First Love. He did that for her the year before, making her feel something to forget the pain of losing heaven, and it really didn't end well for him. So now, he wasn't willing to do it again. He just didn't think he had the heart or the strength to live through that experience the second time around.

"So what now, Spike ol' boy?" he asked himself as he stared absentmindedly at his motel room's ceiling.

He knew that the best solution for this was to take his team and leave the group while he still could. That way he wouldn't have to make the hard decision of whether to accept her kind of relationship or hurt her by rejecting what she wanted. It was easy.

But it was also a very cowardly thing to do.

And he was nothing like a coward.

So he would stay, as long as he could, and wait for the girl to come to him. Then he would tell her his answer. What it was would probably depend on how their conversation would go, but he was hoping that he would have enough strength to resist her this time around. If he didn't-well, he could still rely on his friends to come and take him away from the Slayer if ever they saw that their relationship would hurt him. He knew that they had his back, something he was really grateful for.

With such feelings in his heart, he began to calm down and finally allow his exhausted body to get the rest it deserved.

His eyes were on the verge of closing shut when a soft knock on the door echoed around his room.

He immediately sat up, all thoughts of sleep thrown out the window. He knew who was on the other side of the door, what he didn't know was what he was gonna do with the person. He knew he would have to eventually face her but he hadn't expected that it would be this soon!

 **Knock! Knock! Knock!**

The sound was stronger this time, telling him that his girl didn't appreciate being kept waiting. He still wasn't certain what to do, but he didn't think it was wise to keep the Slayer hanging outside his room. So with great reluctance, he walked towards the door and opened it.

"Evening, Slayer," he greeted, forcing himself to sound as casual as possible.

"Good evening, Spike. Mind if I come in?" she asked with a timid voice.

As much as he would have liked to deny the girl's entry, he didn't. Not when he remembered how much of a rarity it was in the past where the girl would politely ask him entry to his own home. So without hesitation, he widened the door and allowed her in.

He watched her inspect his room, scanning the place in a jovial manner that he wouldn't have expected her to have, considering what she had lost earlier that day. He closed the door, while his eyes never left her as she slowly sat on his bed.

"You know, your bed is softer than the one Dawn and I have in our room. Why is that?" she asked surprising him a bit.

"Dunno, luv. Must be because the guy on the front desk pro'ly had a crush on yours truly. Saw the bloke checking out my ass as I walked passed him," he answered jokingly.

It earned it him short laugh from the Slayer, which made him feel slightly better.

"So I guess we should let you be the one to pay then once we all check out. Maybe he'll give us a discount?" she said teasingly.

"Maybe," he answered with a smile as he sat next to her.

The two stared at each other, a smile etched on their lips. A few moments later though, the smile began to disappear and a serious look appeared on both their faces.

"Spike-" Buffy began, but he cut her off, knowing if she spoke first, he was doomed to fall for her trap yet again.

"I don't want us to be together just so you can get over Angel, Buffy," he told her. The way her eyes widened made him realize that he was right with his assumption that she was indeed planning on getting on with him because of his Grandsire's death. So with a stronger tone, he continued, "I know that you know that I love you. 'Told you that I never could manage to stop loving you. But I don't think I can do it, luv. I don't think I can be someone you just want to be with just because you want to get over the pain of my Grandsire's death. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to help you get past your grief, but I don't want to use sex or put myself in that sort of position anymore. I saw what happens when I let your grief handle our relationship, pet, and it tore me apart. I'm not having it, Buffy." He looked away from her, not wanting to see whatever hurt expression she might give him that could change his mind.

Of course he immediately turned back to him when he heard a short laugh come out from her lips.

"What the bloody hell are you laughing about?!" he asked angrily. Stupid bint! He goes out his way to express his concerns and she ends up laughing at his plight? Who the hell does she think she is?!

He opened his mouth to tell her this, but all words left him when he felt her lips gentle touch his.

She cupped his cheek as she ended the kiss and stared adoringly into his blue eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you how much of an insecure vampire you are?" she asked him.

"You'd be the first to actually say that, pet," he answered still looking confused at the sudden turn of events.

"Well, guess I'll say it better then to get inside that thick head of yours. My reasons for wanting to be with you haven't changed, Spike. I meant what I said back in Sunnydale, I want to explore this thing happening between us. So you can stop worrying about it."

"What about Angel? Aren't you sad he's gone?"

A sad look did come into her features but it quickly returned to the loving look she was still directing at him.

"I won't lie and say that I'm not sorry that he's gone. There is still a part of me that cares for him after all." Her loving expression slowly shifted as her thoughts drifted to what his Grandsire had done. It was going a little bit closer to anger in his book. He jumped a bit when she suddenly stood up and started pacing his room. "But I'm not gonna deny either the fact that his little stunt nearly killed everyone today. We were just lucky that we all got out of Sunnydale alive. He's also the reason we no longer have a home to come back to. So the majority of my feelings for Angel goes towards total anger at his stupidity. We had a perfect plan! But he just had to ruin it so he can end up the hero of us all! What the hell was he thinking?!" his Slayer ranted angrily.

Walking up towards his Slayer, he added, "Probably something along the lines of if I can't have Buffy using my poofy self then maybe she'll love me again if I died a hero," teasingly in a badly imitating voice of his Grandsire.

Any anger she felt melted away at his attempt to replicate the souled vampire's voice, as laughter replaced it immediately.

"You are so bad!" she told him, lightly slapping his chest.

A few chuckles escaped his lips as he said his reply to her, "You know I've always been bad."

When their laughter ended, Buffy then continued her little speech.

"I'm serious though, Spike. I want to try us out, not because I lost Angel or any other stupid excuses you would think of, but because I really want to give us shot. So if you're still interested?" Her voice sounded a little shaky at that last part, indicating to the vampire that she was afraid that he might actually be the one who would back out.

Not wanting to worry his girl any longer. He took her in his arms and stared down into her beautiful emerald colored eyes.

"I am very interested, luv," he told her.

"Good," she answered before kissing his lips for the second time that night.

 **(O.O)**

Somewhere within the higher plan, two beings watched the two with big smiles on their faces.

 **Sighs.** _**I always love happy endings.**_ Destiny told her brother.

 _ **It's not the end yet, sister dear. You and I both know this. There are more trials that our two heroes have to face.**_ Her brother reminded her.

 _ **Oh, Fate, you can be such a spoilsport sometimes.**_ She pouted.

 _ **Enough. I suggest you start acting your age, sister, this is not the time for games.**_ Fate told his sister. _**The Wolf, the Ram and the Deer are about to make their move into their plain. It does not help that the Champion who we selected to stop them is now their prisoner. I knew we should've done something to stop the events of the crystal's activation.**_

 _ **It was his choice to use the crystal, brother. And you and I both know that we neither have the power to control the will of those in the mortal realm.**_ She reminded him.

 _ **Still. We should have done something. Now the world is on the brink of destruction yet again, and our Champions have just finished fighting one war. I highly doubt that they would willingly participate in another.**_

 _ **I beg to differ, Fate. You and I selected these two for a reason, and that is because they never know when to stop fighting. Let us give them a short time to rest, then once we see that they have rested enough, we shall call upon their assistance yet again.**_

 _ **You are right, sister, they do not know when to quit. Very well, they shall be given time to rest. And when the time is right, they shall be asked to return to battle once more.**_

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 **The End...**

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 **For now...**

 **(O.O)**

 **Chapter End Notes:**

And that was that! I finished another fic!

Although,I decided to give this story an open ending since I am planning on writing a companion piece to it but more focused on Spike and his team. Just a series of One-shots of their adventures and probably a bunch of them would include Buffy and what happened in the aftermath of this fic. I haven't yet decided, because I am more focused on finishing up on my other stories, like my "Tales of the Unknown Champions" and also my "Therapy Series".

Anyway, thanks again people for supporting this fic. I truly appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know your thoughts by reviewing.. I love reading reviews after all. Again thank you and have a nice day!


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